In a World Cup warm-up match held in Harrison, New Jersey, Norway fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against African powerhouse Morocco. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard leveled the score in the 75th minute, finishing emphatically from Oscar Bobb's low cross after Morocco had taken an early lead.
Morocco's Early Dominance
Morocco, who made history four years ago by becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals, opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Brahim Diaz calmly collected a cross following a superb run down the left flank by Abde Ezzalzouli and buried a low finish past the Norwegian goalkeeper.
The Atlas Lions, targeting another deep run at the 2026 World Cup, controlled much of the first half. Norway, with Manchester City's Erling Haaland leading the attack, struggled to create clear chances. Their best opportunity came from Alexander Sorloth, whose glancing header drifted wide.
Morocco's Continued Pressure
Morocco continued to threaten after the break. Ezzalzouli came close to doubling the lead in the 38th minute, volleying just over from Diaz's pass. On the stroke of halftime, Norway's Antonio Nusa saw his shot clawed away by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Diaz nearly scored a second in the 57th minute, but his shot was parried by Norway's Orjan Nyland, and Neil Al-Aynaoui's header from the rebound flew over the bar.
Norway's Fightback
Despite Morocco's dominance, Norway grabbed a share of the spoils. Odegaard lashed home Bobb's cross from 15 minutes from time to level the score at 1-1.
Both teams are preparing for the World Cup. Norway will face Iraq on June 16 in Group I, followed by matches against Senegal and France. Morocco opens their Group C campaign against Brazil next Saturday, with further games against Scotland and Haiti.
