DOHA: The Moroccan fans jumped in the stands, their version of the Viking thunderclap — made famous by Iceland at the last World Cup — which comes with the sound of a drum echoing at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday. Rarely has a third-place playoff meant so much to any side.

But for the thousands of Moroccan supporters who had descended upon Qatar, believing in their team and inspiring them on their historic run, this was to be their last celebration at the World Cup.

They will go home with so many memories and so much hope for the future. In reaching the semi-finals — where they came unstuck against France — Morocco had come the farthest any African side has in the history of the tournament. But they could not get the bronze. Instead, it was Croatia and their ageless warrior Luka Modric who took it home, as well as the additional $2 million that separate the third-placed finishers from the fourth.

Mislav Orsic’s 42nd-minute wonder-strike had seen Croatia edge this 2-1, giving Modric a winning sendoff. Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic has said he hopes the Croatian talisman plays on until Euro 2024 but this seemed to be the end. Modric raised his arms at the final whistle before his teammates gathered around him.

Lifted by his teammates, he smiled. If this was the end, there would be no regrets. He departs as one of the World Cup greats, the bronze following a runners-up finish four years ago in Russia with a small nation like Croatia.

It is that seventh match of a World Cup that perhaps no team wants to play; the game you’ve to muster the energy for having come so close to the final, yet being so far away. Yet, there was so much sentimental value attached to this for both teams that they started with their best possible line-ups.

There was Modric on the pitch with all 37 years of his age, bossing the game for one last time at the World Cup. He almost got a goal to mark his appearance 22 minutes in when Yassine Bounou, one of the standout goalkeepers at this World Cup alongside his opposite number Dominik Livakovic, had to dive to his right to keep out a low shot.

Both Bounou and Livakovic, though, had been beaten already by the ninth minute in a frenetic start to the game.

Sofyan Amrabat, Morocco’s all-action holding midfielder, fouled Andrej Kramaric about 30 yards on the inside left. Lovro Majer — the Croatian midfielder expected to take over Modric’s place in the near future — lifted the free-kick into the box which Ivan Perisic headed across the face of the goal and before the ball would bounce, Gvardiol met it with a diving header that gave Bounou no chance. Seven minutes on the clock, Croatia were in front.

The lead lasted for just two minutes though. From a free-kick on the right, Hakim Ziyech swung a vicious ball that looped off Modric’s head and into the path of Achraf Dari who made no mistake with his header.

The all-intensity game continued — both teams going at each other — but it was Croatia who went into the break at half-time. What a goal it was. Croatia had attempted an attack from the right but after no avenues had opened up, the ball was shifted to the left.

The chance seemed to have gone when Marko Livaja gave the ball to Mislav Orsic on the edge of the area but the Dinamo Zagreb winger opened up his body to send an exquisite first-time shot with his right foot that went off the inside of the far post.

The energy of the opening half dipped midway through the second period; both sets of teams playing through the motions. Morocco stepped on the gas with 20 minutes left to go, looking to send the game into extra time and almost did when substitute Selim Ammallah saw a header land on the roof of the net with the last action of the game.

Croatia’s players had at that time looked like they wanted to get this over and done with. At times, tempers flared as there were late fouls.

But after two days of no action at this condensed World Cup, both teams had managed to whet an appetite for more football ahead of Sunday’s final.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2022