Morocco 1-0 Saudi Arabia Highlights, FIFA Arab Cup: Atlas Lions Top Group B With Nervy Win Over Green Falcons

Hello, football fans! This is the start of our live blog covering Morocco’s match against Saudi Arabia. With Saudi Arabia chasing perfection and Morocco needing to seal qualification, this clash promises high stakes and intensity under the lights in Doha. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: Morocco vs Saudi Arabia, Group B Matchday 3

• Venue: Lusail Stadium, Qatar

• Date: Monday, December 8, 2025

• Time: 10:30 PM IST

• Live Streaming: Alkass YouTube channel, Shoof

• Matches played: 7

• Morocco wins: 3

• Saudi Arabia wins: 3

• Draws: 1

The last time these two sides met was in the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 group stage, where Morocco won 1-0 against Saudi Arabia at the Al Thumama Stadium.

Starting XI: El Mehdi Benabid; Marwane Saadane, Hamza El Moussaoui, Soufiane Bouftini, Mohamed Boulacsout; Anas Bach, Mohamed Rabie Hrimat (c), Walid El Karti; Amine Zouhzouh, Karim El Berkaoui, Tarik Tissoudali.

Bench: Rachid Ghanimi (gk), Salaheddine Chihab (gk), Mohamed Moufid, Marouane Louadni, Mahmoud Bentayg, Mounir Chouair, Sabir Bougrine, Ashraf El Mahdioui, Walid Azarou, Oussama Tannane.

Starting XI: Abdulrahman Al Sanbi; Ali Majrashi, Nawaf Boushal, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Waleed Al-Ahmed, Mohammed Sulaiman; Abdulrahman Alobud, Musab Al Juwayr, Murad Al Hawsawi, Saleh Abu Al-Shamat; Saleh Al-Shehri (c).

Bench: Raghad Al-Najjar (gk), Nawaf Al-Aqidi (gk), Hassan Al Tambakti, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Salem Al-Dawsari, Mohamed Kanno, Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, Ayman Yahya, Firas Al-Buraikan, Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

The referee blows his whistle, and Saudi Arabia get the first half underway. The Saudis have fielded a rotated side, having already secured qualification. Can the Moroccans secure the much-needed win and seal progression to the next stage? Stay tuned!

What a chacne for Saudi Arabia!! A superb long ball from the half-way line by Hawsawi found Aboulshamat's darting run into the Morrocan box. Despite being flanked by two defenders, the forward get a powerful header that looped over the head of Benabid before crashing against the crossbar!

El Berkaoui puts Morocco ahead against the run of play!! The Moroccan forward stole posession from Al-Amri before playing it to Tissoudali, who cut it back across the face of goal for El Berkaoui to poke it past Al Sanbi from close range.

Saudi Arabia continue to domiante the lion's share of the ball – more than 70% – and have responded really well since going behind. A good ball from the right almost found the outstretched toe of Al-Ahmed, but it was inches ahead and goes behind for a goal-kick.

A brilliant solo run from Alobud comes to a half as Bouftini comes sliding in, catching the winger on the ankles. As a result, the referee shows him a yellow card, and Saudi Arabia have a free-kick in a dangerous position just outside the Moroccan penalty area.

The one minute of added time flies by as Saudi Arabia keep on pressing hard for the equaliser. However, credit to Morocco for holding firm under pressure, hanging on to a win that will take them top of Group B and into the knockouts.

The referee blows the whistle, and the second half is underway at Lusail Stadium. Can Saudi Arabia convert their dominance of the ball into something tangible and get the equaliser? Stay tuned!

Another early sight of goal for Saudi Arabia. A good through ball found the run of Aboulshamat, who was onside, but under pressure from a Moroccan defender, the Saudi forward hit it straight into the arms of Benabid.

Best chance of the match so far, and Saudi Arabia can't capitsalise on it! A brilliant cross from the right found the head of Al-Shehri. Benabid had come out to punch the ball away but completely missed, but the Saudi captain's header flew just over the bar. What a waste!!

Morocco shoot themselves in the foot!! Zouhzouh attempted to wildly boot the ball away, instead catching Al-Hamdan on the shin. It's right at the edge of the box, and the referee confirms the decision to award the penalty after looking at the pitch-side monitor!

Al-Hamdan, having won the penalty, steps up to take it. The substitute tries to hit it centrally but got too much under it, and it flew over the crossbar. How costly will this prove to be for the Green Falcons?!

Good chance for Morocco to double their lead!! A corner is not properly cleared by Saudi Arabia, and it's worked back into the box where Tissoudali has a snap shot that bounces and gets a wicked deflection off a defender. However, Al Sanbi is alert and makes a diving save to parry it behind.

Yet another wasted opportunity for Saudi Arabia. They do well to work the ball into the Moroccan box, and Yahya has a shot from inside the box. However, he snatched at the opportunity and sent it wide of the post.

The referee blows the full time whistle, and Saudi Arabia's perfect group stage run comes to an end. Morocco have topped Group B with tonight's win, and they and the Saudis will move on to the knockouts.