Hakim Ziyech and Morocco bow out of the World Cup, having lost the semi-final game against France 2-0.
Morocco put in a good display though. Had they been luckier in front of goal, the result could have been different and we would be talking about the first African team in the World Cup final.
Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech played the entirety of the game and was his team's captain after the 21st minute when Romain Saiss was taken off with an injury.
How did the Chelsea winger perform? Let's take a look.
Morocco attacked predominantly through Hakim’s right flank, a blueprint they might’ve taken from England who tormented France through Bukayo Saka:
Ziyech made 78 touches, more than any other Morocco's attacking player. He linked up well with right-back Achraf Hakimi, making life extremely difficult for French defenders.
He made seven progressive passes, mostly to the overlapping Hakimi. No one made more in both teams.
However, Ziyech didn't do enough in what he usually does best: creating chances. Stats say Hakim failed to make a single key pass; all seven of his crosses were inaccurate. He also didn't record any successful dribbles, having attempted five.
A good example of Ziyech's performance is his through ball for En-Nesyri in the second half. The Morocco striker runs forward, Hakim plays the ball forward right on time but underhits it and French defenders see out the danger.
To his credit, we can say that Ziyech did manage to sow panic in France’s box in dead-ball situations. It was after his corner kick that Jawad El Yamiq hit the post and his free kicks looked threatening even when Hugo Lloris dealt with them.
So we can't say Ziyech was bad as he was helpful in the buildup, but he also wasn't good enough, failig to provide his teammates with those killer passes he's famous for.
Ziyech rating v France: 6/10.
