EARLY GOAL
The Scots were brimming with confidence after their 1-0 opening win over Haiti for their first World Cup victory in 36 years but were quickly brought down to earth.
Their opponents needed less than two minutes to open their account with Saibari slipping in behind the defence to latch on to a Brahim Diaz through ball as defender Grant Hanley stepped out too early, and he powered in his shot for the earliest goal in this World Cup.
Saibari, who scored in their 1-1 draw against Brazil last week and has reportedly passed a medical to join German champions Bayern Munich, became only the second African player to score in his first two appearances at the World Cup, after Egypt’s Mohamed Salah.
The Moroccans, who saw captain Achraf Hakimi booed by Scottish fans with the player facing a rape trial, came close again when Azzedine Ounahi charged down the left and cut the ball back, but a pair of Moroccan players narrowly failed to connect in front of goal.
Ounahi had raised eyebrows a day earlier, saying his team were aiming to reach the final, but they showed they mean business as the Scots failed to get a single shot towards goal until deep in first-half stoppage time.
Instead they had to play constant catch-up with Moroccans pressing, winning possession and breaking through seemingly at will, with Bilal El Khannouss firing over the bar after yet another superb move.
It was one-way traffic after the break with Saibari hitting the post and El Khannouss forcing a good save by goalkeeper Angus Gunn with a glancing header.
Scotland tried to pile on the pressure late in the game but, despite some late chances, could not find an equaliser.
“Had we played another five minutes, we might just have had them,” said Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie.
“It’s frustrating. The start to the game wasn’t exactly how we planned it. But we limited them to very little second half and started to play our football. It just wasn’t to be,” he said.
