Zakaria Labyad: '50-50' for Brazil vs. Morocco
Corinthians midfielder Zakaria Labyad shares his expectations for the World Cup match between Brazil and Morocco, admitting he will support his home country.
Corinthians midfielder Zakaria Labyad has shared his thoughts ahead of the World Cup opening match, which sees Brazil face his home country, Morocco. Although he currently plays his club football in Brazil, he openly admits he will be cheering for the Moroccan side.
According to Labyad, there is no clear favorite in the encounter, and the chances are evenly split. He also noted that he discussed the upcoming game with his close friend Noussair Mazraoui, who plays for Manchester United and the Netherlands national team.
We had a conversation about the Brazil team. Both sides have star players and both need to win this game. It will be interesting. Seeing Morocco competing against Brazil will be very interesting; it is a football country, just like Brazil. It is a 50-50 game. I play in Brazil, but I will support Morocco. Zakaria Labyad
The Moroccan player also expressed his hope that Brazil star Neymar will recover well, although the forward is not expected to be fit enough to debut in the tournament opener.
Labyad joined Corinthians four months ago and has steadily gained importance under head coach Fernando Diniz, often appearing as an impactful substitute and scoring crucial goals in competitions like the Copa Libertadores.