Qatar: Croatia has won the bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after beating Morocco 2-1 at the Khalifa Stadium.
Croatia managed to score the first goal by Josko Gvardiol in the seventh minute. The African team restored parity through an Achraf Dari goal but could only keep it for half an hour, after which Croatia went ahead by one goal through Mislav Orsic. The second goal for Croatia was scored in the 42nd minute of the game.
After their 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final defeats, the two teams want to leave Qatar as the runners up securing the bronze.
In the first half of the game, Josko Gvardiol put Croatia in lead after a brilliant set-piece play. Lovro Majer lobbed a free-kick to Ivan Perisic, who dribbled the defender to head the ball to Gvardiol. The Croatian defender perfectly nodded the ball into the net with a spectacular diving header.
But it only took Morocco two minutes to equalise with a free-kick, as Croatia’s Majer attempted to clear the ball but miscalculated and missed the header, letting Morocco’s Achraf Dari, who was alone in the six-yard box, score the goal.
Three minutes before halftime, Mislav Orsic of Croatia scored the game-winning goal.
“This is bronze with a golden glow. We won a tough game,” the Croatian coach Mr. Zlatko Dalic, who also led the nation of four million people to runners-up in Russia four years ago, stated.
Mr. Dalic added that “this is a medal for the Croatian people. It’s really great that we won two medals in two tournaments, big congratulations to my players.”