World Cup 2018 scouting report: Hakim Ziyech misses his chance as Morocco come undone against Iran

Morocco’s first World Cup finals match for 20 years was supposed to double as the stage on which Hakim Ziyech would justify his status as one of the most coveted young playmakers in European football. Unfortunately for the Eredivisie’s leading assist-maker, however, Friday’s disastrous defeat in St Petersburg served only to bolster Iran’s reputation as a very hard team to look good against.

Ziyech still produced flashes of the quality that yielded nine goals and 15 assists for Ajax last season, but it was an early missed chance that will linger in the memory as Morocco reflect on a result that looks utterly ruinous with Spain and Portugal looming on the Group B horizon.

Iran began a little sloppily and from a slick corner routine, Younes Belhanda’s low delivery to the edge of the penalty area found Ziyech unmarked and in a perfect shooting position. Timing horribly off, his left foot connected with nothing but air and the danger evaporated. It proved to be Morocco’s best opportunity to draw their opponents out of their shell in a bright opening half-hour.

Starting on the left flank but regularly drifting across the midfield line in search of space, Ziyech was the architect of much of Morocco’s good early play, at times linking well with marauding Watford winger Nordin Amrabat to send Iranian defenders backpedalling. One fierce shot across the face of goal also sparked the first genuine penalty area scramble of the World Cup.

On a few occasions Ziyech’s good work was undone by his teammates, with the momentum created by his passes and dribbles lost as soon as the ball left his feet. Shortly before half-time he clipped an inviting cross in from the left that narrowly failed to connect with striker Ayoub El Kaabi.

By then, however, Iran had begun to settle into their counter-attacking game and his influence was on the wane. In the second half Ziyech found space less frequently and, when he did, the ball did not find him. Twice in reasonably short order he fouled Omid Ebrahimi and Ehsan Hajsafi out of frustration.

Nonetheless, he still managed to conjure the best chance of the game’s final act for Morocco, a swivelling low shot from the edge of the penalty area that sent Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand flying to his right to parry it around the post.

It would be harsh to blame Ziyech for failing to make a decisive impact on his World Cup debut; a goalless draw always looked the most likely of a match between two teams that conceded just two goals combined in the final round of qualifying for this World Cup and, but for Aziz Bouhaddouz’s own goal in injury time, that is exactly what would have transpired.

Nor will the many clubs monitoring Ziyech judge him on his performances in Russia. Roma are reportedly in talks with Ajax to sign him this summer along with Justin Kluivert, while Liverpool and Everton are both said to be very interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

Given the loaded nature of Jurgen Klopp’s attack it is hard to imagine him being a starter at Anfield, though Everton are in dire need of the pace, creative passing and eye for goal that he offers.

Ziyech will be in demand this summer regardless of how he fares at the World Cup. That is just as well because Iran’s stubborn defence has put Morocco in desperate need of inspiration in Group B and, with Spain and Portugal still to come, his job is not going to get any easier.