Scotland, who topped Group C after the opening round of fixtures following a 1-0 win over Haiti that ended a 36-year run without a World Cup win, were victims of an electric start by Morocco, which saw them fall behind after just 71 seconds.
PSV forward Ismael Saibari, who also gave the Atlas Lions a first-half lead against Brazil in their opening game before Vinicius Junior’s stunning equaliser, caught the Scottish defence napping, putting his country in front with the fastest goal of the tournament so far.
Morocco’s sole striker positioned himself between centre-backs Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry and burst through on goal after running on to Brahim Diaz’s ball from deep, before firing past Angus Gunn and into the top corner.
Despite a late rally where Lyndon Dykes and Scott McTominay both had chances inside the penalty area, it wasn’t to be for the Tartan Army, who would’ve qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in their history with a victory.
Next up for ‘Robbo’ and his teammates is a battle with five-time winners Brazil in Miami on Wednesday, 24 June (11pm BST). A win over Carlo Ancelotti’s side will guarantee their place in the knockout rounds, while it is also still possible that they can make the last 32 without a win, due to eight of the 12 third-placed teams making up the full bracket.