Noussair Mazraoui announces himself at the world cup, and the Moroccan press took notice

Brazil versus Morocco was a match that most Manchester United fans never wanted to miss.

And indeed, what an exciting contest it turned out to be. Despite ending 1-1, the end-to-end action left many entertained and, moreover, the match lived up to the hype.

Man United were well represented, too

Initially, Matheus Cunha and Casemiro were both expected to start for Brazil. However, Carlo Ancelotti only handed Casemiro a starting berth, while Cunha had to settle for a place on the bench before being introduced in the second half to deliver a decent cameo.

Meanwhile, Noussair Mazraoui, who had been an injury doubt in the lead-up to the game, passed a late fitness test to earn a starting spot for Morocco, and he certainly impressed.

As covered in The Peoples Person’s World Cup coverage, Mazraoui was a force to be reckoned with. In fact, the way he kept Raphinha in his pocket needs to be studied.

Moroccan press react to Noussair Mazraoui’s performance

As influential as he was, the United full-back received praise from the Moroccan press, with Sport.le360 best capturing the complete performance he delivered, handing him an 8/10 rating:

“Mazraoui has once again confirmed he is world-class and his importance in the Moroccan system. Very solid in the duels, he was able to respond to the Brazilian offensives while providing his technical quality and his ease with the ball in the possession phases.

“Valuable in the construction of the game, he was at the origin of the action that led to the opening of the Moroccan score, thanks to a key pass that launched the offensive movement.

“Precise in his choices and always available, he delivered a complete match against the Selecao.”

Consequently, United fans will have left impressed by what they saw from Mazraoui, though one thing remains obvious: such top performances in a United shirt have been a rare sight.

Carrick needs this Mazraoui to show up next season

Yes, he has delivered in patches: the games against Chelsea last season spring to mind, but his persistent injury absences have robbed him of any real consistency.

Mazraoui is a fantastic player, of that there is no doubt. Ultimately, if he can return to United next season and reproduce the kind of influential display he produced in that World Cup opener, he will be a massive asset to Carrick’s revolution.

Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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