Brazil and Morocco shared the points in a 1-1 draw in their opening Group C match of the FIFA World Cup.

Morocco made a bright start and took the lead through Ismael Saibari. After a good pass from Brahim Diaz split the Brazilian defence, Saibari kept his composure and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Alisson to put the North Africans ahead.

Morocco looked organised and confident throughout the first half, causing problems for the five-time world champions with their quick attacks and disciplined play.

Brazil responded through Vinicius Junior, who scored an excellent goal midway through the match. The winger combined well with Bruno Guimaraes before cutting inside and curling a shot into the top corner to make it 1-1.

Despite Brazil enjoying more possession after the break, Morocco defended well and limited their opponents’ chances. At the other end, Morocco continued to look dangerous on the counter-attack and showed why they remain one of the strongest teams outside Europe and South America.

In the end, a draw was probably a fair result between two evenly matched sides.

Morocco will be encouraged by their performance against one of the tournament favourites, while Brazil will know there is room for improvement in their remaining group matches.