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Chelsea attacker Hakim Ziyech has been receiving plaudits from fans and journalists after helping Morocco to a 2-0 win over Belgium in the FIFA World Cup.
Morocco played out a 0-0 draw with Croatia in their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener last week. They thus went into their second group-stage match against Belgium today (28 November) looking to earn their first win of the tournament.
The Atlas Lions remarkably emerged victorious at the Al Thumama Stadium, beating Belgium 2-0. Second-half goals from Roman Saiss and Zakaria Aboukhlal earned them three points.
While Saiss and Aboukhlal found the back of the net, it was Ziyech who pulled the strings for Morocco. The Chelsea attacker provided the assist for Aboukhlal's goal and also had a goal ruled out late in the first half.
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Morocco now sit second in Group F of the FIFA World Cup with four points from two games. A victory over Canada, who have lost both their matches so far, on Thursday (1 December) would see them go through to the Round of 16.
Ziyech has undoubtedly been key to Morocco's push to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup. His performance against Belgium certainly did not go unnoticed in the football world. One wrote of the Chelsea attacker on Twitter:
"Ziyech monsterclass on the world stage. They gotta line up the top grade shisha tonight."
Journalist Grace Robertson lauded Ziyech for choosing to play for Morocco over the Netherlands, where he began his senior career:
"Hakim Ziyech has been owed a lot of apologies for questioning his decision to choose Morocco over the Netherlands. Just legitimately a much better career choice."
Here are more reactions to Ziyech's stellar display against Belgium:
It now remains to be seen if Ziyech can help Morocco book their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup with a win over Canada.
How has Ziyech fared for Chelsea this term?
While Ziyech has been pivotal for Morocco at the World Cup, he has found himself on the fringes of the Chelsea team this season. He has notably made just nine appearances across all competitions for the Blues this term.
Having been restricted to just 270 minutes of action, the 29-year-old is yet to register a goal or assist for Chelsea this campaign. He will be hopeful that his performances in Qatar will earn him more playing time with his club when he returns.
