![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Morroco-696x385.jpg\" "\\"Morroco\\"\/")
<\/div>\nAs Croatia and Morocco pick up the pieces after their World Cup semifinal defeats, the two teams will welcome the prospect of potentially leaving Qatar on a high when they square up in the third-place playoff on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Beating two world-class teams in Argentina and France to reach the final proved to be a step too far for Croatia and Morocco, who handsomely defied pre-tournament odds to reach the semis.<\/p>\n
Morocco rewrote history along the way when Walid Regragui\u2019s fearless squad became the first African team to reach the last four of football\u2019s showpiece event.<\/p>\n
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They will be welcomed home as heroes regardless of the result having not only earned the respect and support of the continent and the Arab world but also having found a place in the hearts of neutral fans who love a true underdog story.<\/p>\n
Croatia and Morocco will face off in Qatar for a second time after playing out a 0-0 draw in their group opener, just as in 2018 when Belgium and England met each other in the group stage and third-place playoff.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be difficult on a mental level. I will give opportunities to those who did not play and we will try to clinch third place,\u201d Regragui said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe important thing is that we presented a good look to our team and that football in Morocco is not far from the top level.\u201d<\/p>\n
For 2018 runners-up Croatia, reaching a second consecutive final looked unlikely when they won just one group game.<\/p>\n
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But through sheer graft and tenacity, two penalty shootout wins over Japan and favourites Brazil earned them a semifinal match with Argentina, where an in-form Lionel Messi was the architect of their destruction.<\/p>\n
\u201cRealistically speaking, before the start of the tournament, we would all have accepted reaching the semifinals. However, we started to dream about the trophy,\u201d Croatia midfielder Lovro Majer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill, we will give everything we\u2019ve got on Saturday and try to win the bronze medal.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Croatia, it represented an opportunity missed to crown their golden generation of players, with coach Zlatko Dalic confirming most of them will not play in the next World Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told the players they need to keep their heads up, be proud of giving their maximum and be ready, we must prepare to fight for third place,\u201d Dalic said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no blame on our guys, I congratulate them for everything they\u2019ve done at this World Cup. Now we have to get up, dust ourselves off and try to win the bronze medal.\u201d<\/p>\n
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