Noxa iwe ngeneno kwindawo eyavala ikuyo eRussia ngonyaka ka-2018 – kodwa ayihlazekanga iCroatia egoduka iphakathi kwamawe amane avale itumente yalo nyaka ebanjelwe eQatar ephezulu. Oku kwenzeke emva kokuba iCroatia iquthise iMorocco ezamileyo ukulwa ngamagowuli amabini kwelinye (2-1) emdlalweni ophambi kowokugqibela obuseKhalifa International Stadium namhlanje ngorhatya. Ngokwenza njalo, iCroatia igoduka ithe qhiwu phezulu imbasa yebronze – logama yona iMorocco igoduka ingaphethanga nto. Ayikwazanga ukuya phambili iCroatia emva kokuba ivuthululwe ngamagowuli amathathu eqandeni yiArgentina emdlalweni obungoLwesibini wale veki. Kanti yona iMorocco ibethwe yiFrance ngamagowuli amabini eqandeni emdlalweni obuse-Al Bayt Stadium ngoLwesithathu wale veki.
Omabini amaqela axhwithene zisuka kwisigaba sokuqala somdlalo. UJoko Gvardiol ubeke ibhola emnatheni emizuzwini yokuqala yomdlalo yatsho yakhokela iCroatia. Ikhawuleze yaphendula iMorocco emva komzuzu omnye ngegowuli elifakwe ngu-Achraf Dari ngentloko engagadwanga ngabadlali beCroatia ekubonakala ukuba bebesavuyela igowuli likaGvardiol. Phambi kokusongwa kwesigaba sokuqala somdlalo, uYassine Boumou uchole ibhola emva kwakhe ityeli lesibini. Oku kwenzeke emva kwegowuli elihle elifakwe nguMislav Orsic azame wamncama ukulinqanda ngesandla uBounou. Kwisigaba sesibini somdlalo khange kubekho qela elikwazileyo ukufaka elinye igowuli emdlalweni. Amathuba ebekhona futhi eliqela, ngelishwa iinzame zabadlali ebaleni aziphumelelanga.
ICroatia ikhusele amagowuli wayo kwisigaba sesibini ngokudlala umdlalo omhle. Kubekho ukubhideka kwiMorocco ekuqaleni – kodwa iye yaphinda yabuyela emdlalweni nakubeni ingakwazanga ukufumana amagowuli. Noxa iCroatia igoduka inento eyiphetheyo esandleni, nayo iMorocco izenzele imbali ngokuba lilizwe lokuqala eAfrika elifikelele kwisigaba esiphambi komdlalo wokugqibela kwitumente yehlabathi. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, umsebenzi owenziwe yiMorocco uza kukhuthaza amazwe amaninzi kwizwekazi le-Afrika elisasokolayo kwitumente yehlabathi. Umdlalo wokugqibela weNdebe yeHlabathi yalo nyaka (2022) ebanjelwe eQatar uza kube useLusail Iconic Stadium phakathi kweFrance ne-Argentina ngentsimbi yesihlanu emalanga ngomso (ngeCawe).
UMzantsi Afrika uzama inzolo eMozambique