Croatia matched their feat from 1998 by bagging a podium finish in Qatar 2022. Zlatko Dalic's side overcame Morocco 2-1 at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The third-place play-off clash began on a fiery note with both sides cancelling each other out with quick-fire set-piece goals. Josko Gvardiol gave Croatia the lead in the 7th minute & Achraf Dari equalised in the ninth.
Croatia reclaimed the lead just before half-time, through Mislav Orsic's sensational curler; that went in off the upright. And that proved enough to ensure Morocco would have to settle for fourth place.
The third-place play-off clash began on a fiery note with both sides cancelling each other out with quick-fire set-piece goals. Josko Gvardiol gave Croatia the lead in the 7th minute & Achraf Dari equalised in the ninth.
Croatia reclaimed the lead just before half-time, through Mislav Orsic's sensational curler; that went in off the upright. And that proved enough to ensure Morocco would have to settle for fourth place.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Life has indeed come a full circle for Croatia and Morocco who are now battling it out for the
00:06third place in the 2022 World Cup after meeting in the opening group game of the tournament for
00:11themselves. They played out a nil-nil draw in that game but both have pulled off some stunning
00:15results since then. Croatia of course missed the chance to reach a second consecutive final in
00:19the tournament. France didn't after beating Morocco in the other game. Now just four days
00:24after what happened to Croatia and knocking Brazil out on penalties, Morocco have already
00:29made history in this tournament, reaching the furthest point of any African nation.
00:34One more heave, one more prize. After the exhilaration and the exhaustion, another chance to play,
00:42a chance to relax and enjoy, but also a chance to claim a medal of real meaning. Modric plotting,
00:48it will be left for Maia and Peresic and Guardiola! Brilliant! Magnificent set-piece goal!
00:56And the man in the mask comes up with a finishing touch! That really is a beautifully clipped little
01:06free-kick there. They're onside, they're all good. That header from Peresic is perfect. And then
01:11Guardiola, as you would expect, he launches himself, he throws himself at this one and powers that past
01:19Bono. No chance, the goalkeeper's getting that. That's a brilliant goal. That's a stunning goal.
01:24The first against France in the semi-final. Ziyech's ball in. Oh, and Dari's completely free! Instant response!
01:34Ashraf Dari pounces his first international goal. This is what this team have done all
01:46time. They have just responded. They have just bounced back every time. They've been put down
01:54on the canvas. And this time it's Dari, who does really well. He's got so much time to think about
02:00this, you know, but he just does it right. Get it down. Headed down into the ground.
02:04Opportunity for Maia. And now Stanisic. And Maia again. The opportunity lost. But Kovacic wins it back. And now
02:16Levaia. And now there's some promise. Orsic flogs it. It is a beautiful goal.
02:25It's exactly what happens. But it's a beautiful goal. It really is. It's an outstanding goal
02:31from Orsic. And in a tough spell for Croatia. Now the last 10 or 15 minutes has been difficult
02:38for them. But they've got themselves back in front. It's a beautiful goal.
02:47Here is Peresic playing the left of a back four for Croatia. Orsic. It's opened up for him
02:53again! Wrong side of the net from his point of view this time. He's taken a deflection, thankfully,
03:00for Bono in the goal. Just there, little Ilya Meek. The ball's still in play.
03:06Oh, Kovadio presents it! Enesiri! Livakovic the hero again!
03:12Ziyech. Atiyatala. And in it comes. And Enesiri can attack it!
03:27Everybody. It's a great leap. He just can't get it down. But...
03:36On another day, you can imagine the panic setting in for Varane and Canate in the semi-final.
03:42Croatia take the prize! Runners up in 2018. Four years later, it's third place. And in an invigorating,
03:52at times exhilarating match here. It finishes Croatia 2, Morocco 1.
03:59at times exhilarating match. So, this is how I'll see it's like it's good today.
04:04The thing I'm going to do is gonna be to be away.
04:06I believe this is a clear plan to you.
04:08I guess if I run all the recognition of the challenge of your mind,
04:10I'm going to be there. So we're going to be a bit.
04:11I really want to take a picture of you over here.
04:13I can't take a picture of you over here. That's what you're like.
04:15You know what's going on with me? I'm gonna be there.
04:17A great picture of you over here. Did you see that the challenge,
04:19that I have been together? And so I do a few.