Morocco faces Netherlands in World Cup last-32 match amid historical context

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Moroccans began moving to the Netherlands in the 1960s, lending match in Mexico a feeling akin to ‘a derby’ Thirty-two years to the day since their first official encounter, Morocco and the Netherlands face each in what has the makings of a blockbuster last-32 match. Many things have changed since the 1994 World Cup group game in Orlando, which Netherlands won 2-1, but Morocco’s history is never far from the plot. Take the venue for Monday’s encounter – Monterrey, where the Atlas Lions played most of their 1986 World Cup campaign, in the process becoming the first African team to progress through the group stage. So many in Morocco spy a golden opportunity for revenge and glory. And they would be right to do so given how four years ago, in Qatar, Morocco stunned the world by reaching the semi-finals, beating Belgium, Spain and Portugal in the process. They now have another European heavyweight firmly in their sights. Continue reading...

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Two teams with plenty of connections meet in a ‘clash of titans’ at one of the World Cup’s most picturesque venues Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi had just been asked what would inspire his players to justify the feverish expectation hanging over them. Would they turn to the example of history, or would they draw on something else? “The biggest motivation the players have is to put on the jersey and represent the country,” he began. “That is motivation enough to move mountains.” It would be some feat if they managed to alter the geology of Cerro de la Silla, the claw-shaped double peak that overwhelms the skyline around Estadio Monterrey, where Morocco and the Netherlands will play in the World Cup Round of 32. Continue reading...

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Netherlands, Morocco meet in one of the Round of 32’s most anticipated matches Two teams with legitimate ambitions of making a deep World Cup run will collide Monday night when the Netherlands faces Morocco in arguably the most evenly matched fixture of the FIFA World Cup Round of 32. With a berth in the Round…