After a 20-year absence, the Atlas Lions are set to roar on the world’s biggest stage once again. Morocco went unbeaten in their World Cup qualification group. Their stunning campaign included three wins and three draws. Herve Renard’s men scored 11 goals and went through all six games without conceding.

Playing a brand of eye-catching attacking football combined with a well-drilled defence, let’s see what this Morocco side have to offer.

System & Style

Hervé Renard came in at just the right time for Moroccan football fans; two decades of frustration almost killed the football scene in the country. He arrived in 2016, a year after rewriting history on the continent - the Frenchman became the first coach to lift the African Cup of Nations with two different teams, Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015.

Renard boasts one of the most impressive track records with African teams and it’s easy to see why the Moroccan FA took the chance to bring him on board.

Renard prefers fluid attacking football in his teams. He likes his teams to have the ball, move it and create with it. Renard instructs his team to be very organized when not in possession. The frenchman often uses a 4-3-3 (although one of the three midfielders often occupies the #10 position when attacking). He isn't afraid to make big tactical alterations against different opponents going with the 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 in some matches.

Morocco play on the front foot; they press high up the field, look to get the ball in wide areas and stretch their opposition. They do possess well-drilled defence and have switched their game to a more counter-attacking approach when needed. The Moroccan midfield is key in this setup as they initiate attacks for the wide men and the striker.

System Strengths

Attacking is Morocco’s greatest strength. In attack; the full-backs push high and wide, the wingers drift in to offer central options, the two advanced central midfielders make runs in and around the box and the center backs move into the opponents half. A very attack minded setup similar to that of Europe’s best teams.

The Atlas Lions have the system and personnel to hurt any of the biggest sides at this World Cup. Morocco possess one of the best midfield trios at the tournament: El-Ahmadi is the holding midfielder, Boussoufa is the box-to-box engine and Belhanda is the creative playmaker.

Together, these three are very potent. El-Ahmadi completed 157 tackles and interceptions combined in the Eredivisie last season. He also maintained an 89.6% pass success rate. Boussoufa contributed 3 goals and 6 assists from midfield for his club Al-Jazira and Belhanda contributed 8 assists and had 2.7 key passes per game, the second highest in the Turkish league.

Upfront, their attack is very impressive. The main man is Hakim Ziyech of Ajax. He was Holland’s top assist provider, Ajax’s Player of the Year and he also won the Dutch Footballer of the Year award.

Ziyech starts on the left wing alongside Khalid Boutaib, who was Morocco’s top scorer in qualifying, and Nordin Amrabat on the right. The two wingers have the ability to stretch any defense and stiker Boutaib is a handful in the air and on the ground.

 

An underrated aspect of Morocco is their defense. Juventus star and Morocco captain Medhi Benatia marshalles the backline. Benatia is a key component in the setup as he is responsible for defensive organization and maintaining Morocco’s high defensive line. He is partnered by Wolves’ Romain Saiss. Together, the two form a very solid defensive partnership; Morocco have conceded 11 goals in Renard’s 26 games in charge, an average of 0.42 goals conceded per game. The team as a whole defends well and defends in numbers

System Weaknesses

Perhaps Morocco’s attacking football can be a weakness in itself. They like to push up and hold a high defensive line and control the game in their opponent’s half.

When attacking they commit men forward; the full backs make overlapping runs and the advanced central midfielders push up to make runs into the box. This can leave scenarios where only the two center backs and defensive midfielder are left to defend.

If teams counter attack and transition fast enough, they will find it easy to score when only three players are defending. They can easily be undone by long balls and through passes on the counter

 

Summary

One of the very best teams on the continent has a mountain to climb. In Group B with 2010 World Cup winners Spain, Euro 2016 holders Portugal and Iran, the Atlas Lions will need to pull one out of the hat.

They have beaten the odds before, overcoming Ivory Coast,Gabon and Mali in qualifying. Morocco have a coach whose tactical acumen is a match for any opponent and they have the players to execute the tactics. Renard’s men are expected to breeze past Iran, but there is a sneaky feeling they can pull a win against Portugal.

A very good attack and solid defensive displays will be enough to sneak into the round of 16.

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