Herve Renard: The common link between Morocco success and Saudi promise

Morocco are the toast of world football having reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup, but the journey to the last four did not come out of nowhere and it is one that has been watched closely elsewhere in the region.

Four years ago, the Atlas Lions were placed in a tough group in Russia with Spain, Portugal and Iran but just could not get past the group stage. The story of Saudi Arabia in 2022 sounds similar. The Green Falcons were placed in a tough group in Qatar with Argentina, Poland and Mexico and impressed but could not quite get out of their group.