Morocco, Brazil To Play Post-World Cup Friendly

World Cup semifinalists Morocco will have a gala homecoming game against Brazil next month, the Moroccan football federation said on Wednesday.

The friendly match will be played at Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier on March 25 and is the first time home fans will be able to see their team in action since the north Africans’ surprise run to the World Cup semifinals in Qatar.

Morocco have organised a second friendly against Peru in Madrid three days later.

Morocco were supposed to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the next international window but opponents Zimbabwe have been disqualified after being banned by Fifa and it has left Morocco able to organise the high-profile friendlies.

Morocco finished fourth in Qatar after eliminating both Portugal and Spain in a giant-killing run while Brazil were knocked out on post-match penalties in the last eight by Croatia.

Brazil have beaten Morocco in two previous meetings – a 2-0 victory in Belem in a 1997 friendly and 3-0 in Nantes at the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

The stadium in Tangier hosted games in last week’s Club World Cup.