Pakistan, May 27 -- Morocco produced a historic best performance for an African and Arab nation at the 2022 World Cup, but their hopes of another run to the latter stages this time may not have been helped by a turbulent few months. The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals in Qatar, eliminating Spain on penalties in the last 16 and knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the quarter-finals. Their remarkable run ended in defeat to France, before they lost the third-place play-off against Croatia.

Morocco were a surprise package then, having only previously made the knockout stage of a World Cup once, when they reached the last 16 in Mexico in 1986.

This time is different: they are ranked eighth in the world, in between the Netherland...