Soccer
Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh, alongside Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi. Copyright: Imago
Former Super Eagles and Juventus midfielder Sunday Oliseh has identified what the Atlas Lions of Morocco lacked in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C opener against Brazil, Soccernet.ng reports.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side fielded several big names like Casemiro, Alisson Becker, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Lucas Pacqueta, but the Moroccans didn’t flinch.
Instead, the African Champions imposed themselves on the game, breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari, who sent a delicate chip over Alisson.
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The lead didn’t last long. Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior levelled the scores with a solo effort eleven minutes later, curling the ball beyond Yassine Bounou.
The Atlas Lions stepped up again, with Hakimi and Brahim Diaz coming close to scoring another before half-time, but Alisson stood tall.
At the start of the second half, Carlo Ancelotti opted to take off Casemiro and Roger Ibañez, replacing the duo with Danilo and Fabinho.
Soccer Sunday Oliseh explains how Nigerian attackers would’ve helped Morocco
Morocco came out on top in every metric, except by the scoreline, with several ex-players lauding the supposed AFCON 2025 winners for going toe-to-toe against the five-time World Cup winners.
Oliseh, meanwhile, believes the lack of individual quality possessed by Nigerian attackers like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman allowed the game to end in a draw.
Had the Atlas Lions had one of the pair, the AFCON 1994 winner believes that Morocco would’ve secured a win with at least a two-goal difference.
“Impressive performance by this Moroccan side, defensively and offensively well structured,” the 51-year-old wrote on his X page.
“Had this team had “Victor Osimhen or Ademola Lookman” like players versus Brazil, they could have won by 3 goals to 1 at worst.
“Brazil looking deceptive and Thank God they had Vinicius jr and Raphinha. I loved the Belief and evolution from the Moroccans,” Oliseh concluded.
Impressive performance by this Moroccan side, defensively and offensively well structured. Had this team had “Victor Osimhen or Ademola Lookman” like players versus Brazil, they could have won by 3 goals to 1 at worst. Brazil looking deceptive and Thank God they had Vinicius jr… pic.twitter.com/gfMA6DowjR
— Sunday Oliseh (@SundayOOliseh) June 14, 2026
Morocco will play their second group game against Scotland on Friday, while Brazil will play against Haiti the following day.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual CAF-Accredited sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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