Moroccan side jubilant after soccer triumph

Press, 13 June 1986, Page 14

Moroccan side jubilant after soccer triumph

NZPA-Reuter Mexico City Morocco, regarded as the makeweight of the World Cup soccer finals, sent a shock wave through the tournament by becoming the first African nation to win a preliminary group.

The bottom seed of group F roused the section from its 10-day slumbers yesterday with a stunning 3-1 win over Portugal in Guadalajara. Its unparalleled triumph represented a major breakthrough for the unheralded football nations, who in previous finals have filled the role of gallant losers. Morocco has given a lead to such teams who from now on will be looking to make a much bigger impact on world soccer’s month-long showpiece.

Yesterday’s victory, which left the jubilant Moroccans top of a group containing three powerful European nations, has earned them the “reward” of a match against either Denmark, unquestionably the most accomplished side so far, or West Germany in the 16-team knock-out phase which will begin on Sunday.

But the coach, Jose Faria, who has worked

hard to bring Braziliantype flair to the Moroccans’ game, is not bowed by such a challenge. Faria, himself a Brazilian, said: “I just hope we play Denmark so we can show the world what we are talking about. They will probably beat us, but I guarantee a group containing Poland, England and Portugal is something worth entering in the history books.” The Moroccans, who gleaned just one point from their only previous appearance in the finals in 1970, had the Portuguese down and out midway through the second half. By then they had built up a 3-0 lead, two of the goals coming from the exciting Abderrazak Khairi.

England, savaged by its fans and the media after inept performances against the Moroccans and Portugal in its two opening group games, answered their critics with some panache. Without a goal in its

previous four World Cup final ties, England suddenly found scoring a simple business against a leaden-footed Polish defence. Or at least Gary Lineker did.

Lineker showed why he was the top marksman in the English league last season with an opportunist hat-trick in the opening 36 minutes to end the match as a contest.

It was the first hat-trick by an England player in the World Cup finals since Geoff Hurst performed

the feat in the 1966 final against West Germany. The manager, Bobby Robson, who bore the brunt of the criticism for England’s earlier failings, said his side had played with “much better balance, support, width and variation.”

While Paraguary will have to keep a close eye on the speedy Lineker when the two sides battle for a place in the quarterfinals at the Aztec Stadium next Tuesday, England will have to

watch the finishing power of Roberto Cabanas. He scored both Paraguayan goals in the 2-2 draw with Belgium in group B in Toluca yesterday to ensure his side pipped the Belgians for the runner-up spot. Belgium had the consolation of knowing the one point it collected was enough to keep them in the tournament. The host side, Mexico, clearly missing the skills of its suspended striker, Hugo Sanchez, did just enough to head the group by beating the plucky Iraq, 1-0, at the Aztec Stadium. Today the second round draw should become clearer when group D winds up with Brazil meeting Northern Ireland and Algeria attempting to emulate its neighbour , Morocco, when it meets Spain. FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS

P W D L F A Pt Morocco 3 1 2 0 3 1 4 Engalnd 3 1 1 1 3 1 3 Poland 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 Portugal 3 1 0 2 2 4 2