The opening game of the World Cup was eagerly anticipated, but this was more for its significance in kicking the whole event off, rather than the quality of the two teams on show.
However, Saudi Arabia, with their group of players from their domestic league who not many people will have heard of, and Russia, well, with their group of players from their domestic league not many people will have heard of, began proceedings with an entertaining if one-sided goal-fest.
The hosts enjoyed the perfect start, putting five goals past the other team in their group who might be considered the weakest, proving they are at least the third best side in Group A.
The Russians provided an enjoyable opening to the tournament, even if it was one-way traffic.
The second day of the 2018 World brings two more high profile games, but sandwiched between Egypt v Uruguay and Portugal v Spain, is another game which people may not be getting too excited about.
Morocco v Iran is another game which, on paper, doesn’t appear to be the most mouthwatering of prospects for the late afternoon kick off. It's not interesting enough to rush home from work for, and it's a game which few people will be clamouring to see on the various sized screens in their workplace.
When looking deeper into the two squads, however, there could be some excitement to be had during this game from a number of intriguing individual talents.
Morocco have a number of young players who will be looking to make their mark on the tournament. The youngest is 19-year-old Real Madrid right-back Achraf Hakimi — so it’s not just Portugal and Spain who have players on show from the 2018 Champions League winners.
He’s appeared sporadically for Real this past season, but has impressed on the occasions he’s taken the field, scoring two goals in La Liga from right back.
Achraf has played on both sides of the defence for Morocco, but has primarily been used on the opposite side to his favoured foot at left back. He’ll be worth looking out for whichever flank he’s on.
Elsewhere, Morocco have a player who’s widely considered one of the best in the Eredivisie in the shape of Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech. At 25 he’s reaching his peak, and will be hoping to impress. What better way to do so than taking Morocco to the knockout stages at the expense of Spain or Portugal.
20-year-old Schalke 04 midfielder Amine Harit will likely have to wait for his chance from the bench, as will Ligue 1 based midfielder Youssef Aït Bennasser.
It could be a case of too many playmakers and not enough finishers for Morocco, although in Casablanca based striker Ayoub El Kaabi, they may have found someone to finish off moves.
The 24-year-old has been given the No 9 shirt, and will be looking to add to his excellent record of 11 goals from 10 caps with some World Cup strikes.
It’s not just Morocco who will be introducing a few unheard-of stars to the viewing public. Iran also have a couple of players who can light up a game if given the chance.
They have a number of players who play their club football in Russia, including wing-back Milad Mohammadi and midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi who play for Akhmat Grozny and Amkar Perm respectively, but Rubin Kazan’s Sardar Azmoun could be the real star.
23-year-old Azmoun has played in Russia for five years, including a spell at Rostov, so could enjoy some support from the home fans.
If he can link up with talented AZ Alkmaar forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who topped the Eredivisie scoring charts last season and rivalled Ziyech as the league's best player, fans could be in for a treat.
All of this depends on how Morocco’s Hervé Renard and Iran’s Carlos Queiroz decide to set their teams up. Both have a reputation for prioritising defence over free-flowing attack, but some of these players can’t be stifled even by the most defensive tactics.
This will be a big game for both teams, as they’ll think that a win against the other is a must to progress from the group. They’ll then hope to cause an upset against one or both of the Group B giants as they plan their path to the knockout stages. With the talent in their ranks, they’re more than capable of doing so.
While the other games on day two of the 2018 World Cup appear more glamorous, none could have a bigger say on the final group standings than Morocco v Iran. Let’s hope it encourages the players to step up and perform, rather than retreat to the safety of their respective managers’ tactical plans.
