Doha – Colombia secured their spot in the Kings World Cup Nations final after defeating Morocco 2-1 in a tense semi-final match at KL Arena in Milano on Thursday, marking their second victory over the North African side in the tournament.
The Colombian side, who dominated their group stage with impressive victories including a 3-2 win against Turkiye and a 6-1 triumph over Uzbekistan, maintained their winning streak with goals from Julio Perea (7’) and Angellot Caro (19’). Morocco’s sole goal came from Nadir Louah in the third minute.
The match, which saw Morocco controlling 58% of possession and maintaining an 88% successful pass rate compared to Colombia’s 79%, was marked by several controversial moments.
A potential equalizer from Bousoufa was disallowed after VAR review in the 38th minute, prompting criticism from Moroccan streamer Ilyas El Maliki during his live coverage.
El Maliki, who was recently released from prison after serving three months of a suspended two-month sentence for defamation and public indecency, drew over 500,000 viewers on his Kick platform stream.
Dressed in traditional Moroccan attire, he began his coverage with Surat Al Fatiha and duaa, maintaining his signature style that has garnered international attention.
Morocco’s journey to the semi-finals was remarkable, rebounding from an initial 4-1 loss to Colombia in their opening match.
The team went on to secure convincing victories against Ukraine (9-2) and Japan (4-2), before advancing through a dramatic quarter-final against the United States that ended in a 7-7 draw and was decided by penalties (2-1).
The Kings League format, founded by former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué and streamer Ibai Llanos, features unique rules including two 20-minute halves and special “weapons” such as penalty shoot-outs and double-goal periods.
The tournament has gained significant traction in Morocco, with each national team game averaging two million views across streaming platforms.
Colombia will now advance to the final scheduled for January 12 at Allianz Stadium in Torino, while Morocco’s campaign comes to an end despite accumulating impressive statistics throughout the tournament, including 21 goals scored across their previous four matches.
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