The goals of Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic helped Croatia defeat Morocco at the Khalifa International Stadium and pocket their second bronze medal in the FIFA World Cup.
Croatia have appeared in six editions of the tournament since the first time there in 1998. As long as they made it out of their group, their worst record was advancing to the semifinals, not to mention that the team reached the final in 2018.
As for Morocco, their performance in Qatar was more than impressive. They made history not just for the team, but also for the whole continent of Africa.
Despite the success, some problems were exposed of Morocco in the past two games. If they want to become a regular World Cup competitor instead of a flash in the pan, they have some homework to do.
Players and manager of Croatia celebrate with the bronze medals after defeating Morocco 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup third-place game at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, December 17, 2022. /CFP
Mislav Orsic (#18) of Croatia shoots to score a goal in the FIFA World Cup third-place game against Morocco at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, December 17, 2022. /CFP
Achraf Dari (#20) of Morocco scores a header in the FIFA World Cup third-place game against Croatia at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, December 17, 2022. /CFP
Host: Li Xiang
Guest: Josh McNally
Cover designer: Feng Yuan
Chief editor: Chen Ran
Supervisor: Zhang Shilei