"Morocco beats Haiti, but advances as group runner-up after the 4-2"

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Sports desk (EFE).- Twice behind on the scoreboard, the second time following a stunning goal by Isidor, Morocco had to recover in a thrilling first half, driven by the display of Hakimi, who led a comeback against Haiti that Rahimi transformed into a victory from the 78th minute onwards to finish ‘only’ second in Group C (4-2).

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Morocco really never had a chance to finish first in its group. Before the match, it was the goal. As events unfolded, with Vinicius’s early lead and Brazil nearly a thousand kilometers away from Atlanta, and given the test of personality and reaction posed by their opponent, the North African team understood that the only thing they could do was focus on themselves and win their match. It was difficult for them amidst their opponent’s relaxation.

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A semifinalist in 2022, with qualification never in jeopardy (Scotland never took the lead against Brazil in the other group match), three options now emerge from their second-place finish: the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden. One of the three will be their opponent on June 29 (June 30 in Spain) in the Mexican city of Monterrey.

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Definition of group C

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For its part, Brazil qualified for the round of 32 of the World Cup as the winner of Group C, in which Morocco also advanced as runner-up and Scotland finished third, waiting to see if it is among the eight best in the final tally of the other brackets.

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Brazil reached seven points this Wednesday by thrashing Scotland 0-3, while Morocco followed the Canarinha with the same seven units by overcoming Haiti 4-2, which was mathematically eliminated before this date after suffering two consecutive defeats: 0-1 against Scotland and 3-0 against Brazil.

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Scotland’s qualification (third in Group C) remains in limbo, as they must wait to see if they are among the eight best third-placed teams across all groups. Their three points, with a goal difference of -3, keep their advancement in suspense, pending the outcome of the remaining matches on the third matchday.

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