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Fifa World Cup: Croatia, Morocco target 'immortal' third-place medal in playoff

The Atlas Lions — who gave France a good battle but lost — will prove a fearsome opponent for the tournament finalists of 2018

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Photo: AP

By AP

Published: Fri 16 Dec 2022, 12:37 PM

The chances of the winning the World Cup might have gone for Croatia and Morocco, but “immortality” is at stake when the two teams meet in Saturday’s third-place playoff.

Croatia forward Andrej Kramarić dispelled the notion it would be a meaningless contest at the Khalifa International Stadium.

“I think if you ask this question to Moroccan players, I don’t think they will look that way," he said at a news conference on Thursday.

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“They’re fighting for their lives because if you win a medal at a World Cup you become an immortal hero in your country. That’s the same thing we are going to do.”

Photo: AFP

Morocco defied the odds to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, but the Atlas Lions' run came to an end with a 2-0 loss to defending champions France on Wednesday.

Croatia reached the final in Russia in 2018, but suffered a 3-0 loss to Argentina on Tuesday.

“Eight of us from [the tournament in] Russia understand that feeling of winning a medal at the World Cup and we have a lot of players who haven’t experienced that and would love to do that because it’s something that will stay with you for the rest of your life,” Kramaric said.

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AP

Published: Fri 16 Dec 2022, 12:37 PM

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