The festive atmosphere outside, with Morrocan fans dancing alongside Croatian fans, ultimately failed to inspire their teams as the game ended nil-nil with a lack of any clear chances.

Star players Luka Modric, of Croatia, and Achraf Hakimi, of Morocco, put in solid performances with occasional flashes of brilliance in Wednesday’s encounter at Al Bayt Stadium.

Hakimi probably came closest to scoring with a long-range free-kick in the second half, but it never really troubled the Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

The real winners in this match were the Moroccan fans, who kept singing, clapping and cheering until the very end.