Football
Ed Dove, Special to ESPN 6y

Subs Bouhaddouz, Amrabat let Morocco down late vs. Iran

Substitute Aziz Bouhaddouz scored a 94th-minute own goal as Iran ended Morocco's 18-match undefeated streak and left the Atlas Lions' chances of World Cup progression hanging by a thread.

It was a dark day all round for Morocco, who started strongly but faded, and they'll know, that with Portugal and Spain still to come in Group B, they need a remarkable upturn in fortunes in order to advance.

Positives

There won't be too many of a Moroccan persuasion taking positives from such a crushing defeat and a flat second-half performance as their undefeated streak ended.

However, they at least started strongly, and were assertive and inventive during an electric opening 15 minutes.

Their set-piece moves were intelligent, and there was good running from midfield in support of the strikers. Unfortunately, the high-octane start wasn't to last.

Negatives

None of Africa's other representatives in Russia boast the wealth of creative talent that Morocco can offer, and Herve Renard will be furious that his side enjoyed over 68 percent of the possession but created precious little in the way of clearcut chances.

The manner in which they lost the early initiative and then failed to rediscover their momentum was alarming, particularly with Spain and Portugal to come.

Manager rating (out of 10):

6 - Herve Renard: His starting selection was bold, clearly with the intent of starting strongly and taking the game to Iran, with Amine Harit introduced to the side.

They set the tone from the off, but Renard does deserve some criticism for letting the pace slide without effectuating change.

His first substitution - made in the 76th minute - was enforced upon him by injury, and he opted against turning to Khalid Boutaib, top scorer in qualifying.

Player ratings (1-10, with 10 the best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating):

GK Munir, 6 - His delivery was quick and proactive during the first half, and he made two fine stops to keep the scores level before the break when Iran created an opening on the counter attack.

DF Achraf Hakimi, 6 - Like many of his teammates, he looked bright and inventive during the early stages, combining well with Harit and causing havoc in wide areas. However, his confidence appeared to desert him during the second half and he faded.

DF Romain Saiss, 6 - Caught the eye with his effective long-range passing, and regularly sought to hit the forwards early.

DF Medhi Benatia, 6 - Delivered the kind of composed, elegant central-defensive display that we've come to expect from the Juventus man.

DF Nordin Amrabat, 7 - Morocco's best player, he started the game as a right full-back but was the Atlas Lions' most advanced player during the first half. He constantly pressed on to cause an overload in the final third, and troubled Iran with his speed and movement. Replaced by his brother Sofyan in some discomfort in the 76th minute and the North Africans were weaker following his exit.

MF Karim El Ahmadi, 6 - Not one of Renard's on-field general's more effective displays; he was bogged down in a petty midfield battle and picked up the second booking of the game just after the half-hour mark.

MF Mbark Boussoufa, 6 - The deep-lying conductor was one of the key figures in establishing Morocco's possessional dominance, but wasn't able to translate that into clear-cut openings. He drew an early booking from Masoud Shojaei who struggled to deal with his sinuous movement.

MF Amine Harit, 7 - Justified Renard's decision to play him from the start with a lively display. Demonstrated why he was named the Young Player of the Year in the Bundesliga with a fearless showing as he didn't appear at all overawed by the occasion. The 20-year-old completed a game-high six dribbles.

MF Hakim Ziyech, 6 - A disappointing showing from the playmaker, who fell well short of the billing here despite occasional glimpses of his inventiveness. An early airshot was a sign of things to come, and he was let down by both his control and his finishing.

MF Younes Belhanda, 5 - Another anonymous performance from a player of whom much more had been expected. All three of his shots were off target, while he didn't complete a single dribble and lost the ball twice.

FW Ayoub El Kaabi, 5 - Admittedly, was somewhat let down by his service, but he appeared slow to read the intentions of Ziyech and Amrabat at times, and should have done better with his only shot - an early half volley.

Substitutes

MF Sofyan Amrabat, 4 -- Introduced for his brother Nordin in the 76th minute and gave away the foul that led to Iran's winner. His positioning was poor in the build-up to that decisive moment.

FW Aziz Bouhaddouz, 4 - Offered little offensively after coming on, and then contributed the own goal that ended Morocco's undefeated streak. His awareness and positioning must both be questioned as he headed the ball past Munir under little pressure.

DF Manuel da Costa, N/R

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