The Atlas Lions controlled the contest for long stretches and ultimately had too much quality for their neighbours from the Mountain Kingdom, although Lesotho can take plenty of encouragement from the way they competed against a side packed with European-based stars.

The match was always going to be a difficult assignment for the Likuena.

Brahim Díaz of Real Madrid scored the first goal on the stroke of half-time - Morgan Piek

Morocco entered the fixture as Africa’s highest-ranked national team and fifth in the world, while Lesotho were 145 places further down the FIFA rankings.

That difference was evident in the way the visitors moved the ball and dictated the tempo.

From the opening exchanges, Morocco looked comfortable in possession, patiently working their way towards the Lesotho box. The Likuena were forced to defend deep and relied on discipline and organisation to keep their opponents at bay.

Ismaël Saibari was a handful to deal with in the first half - Morgan Piek

For all their dominance, however, the Atlas Lions did not have everything their own way in front of goal.

Lesotho's defenders threw themselves into challenges and managed to frustrate Morocco for periods, while the visitors were guilty of failing to make the most of some promising openings.

Eventually, though, the pressure told.

Morocco found the opening goal after a moment of uncertainty in the Lesotho defence, punishing the lapse with the sort of efficiency expected from a team operating at the highest level.

The goal changed little in terms of the pattern of the game.

Morocco continued to dictate possession, with their midfielders finding space and their attackers constantly testing the Likuena backline.

Lesotho attempted to respond whenever they could, but opportunities were limited as Morocco's superior technical ability made it difficult for them to sustain attacks.

The visitors eventually found a second breakthrough, again taking advantage of defensive indecision to put further daylight between the teams.

Noussair Mazraoui of Manchester United - Morgan Piek

At 2-0, the outcome appeared increasingly secure.

Morocco could then afford to manage the remainder of the contest, while Lesotho continued to show plenty of character despite facing an opponent with considerably greater resources and experience.

For the Bloemfontein crowd, one of the biggest highlights came from the Morocco bench. Achraf Hakimi was introduced in the second half, prompting a huge reaction from the stands.

The Paris Saint-Germain star was arguably the most recognisable player on show and had already attracted plenty of attention before kick-off, with young supporters hoping for an opportunity to see their footballing hero or perhaps leave the stadium with a photograph or autograph.

Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain - Morgan Piek

Hakimi was joined in the Moroccan squad by a host of household names, including Real Madrid's Brahim Díaz, Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui, former Barcelona attacker Abde Ezzalzouli and Bayern Munich's Ismaël Saibari.

The presence of such players added another dimension to an already unusual occasion for Bloemfontein.

Despite the gulf between the teams, there was little animosity on the pitch. The game was played in a positive spirit, with just two yellow cards issued during the 90 minutes.

The result leaves Morocco with another important victory in their qualification campaign, while Lesotho will have to regroup and look towards their next assignment.

For the supporters who made their way to the Toyota Stadium, however, the scoreline was only part of the story.

This was an opportunity to watch one of Africa's premier football nations and several of its biggest stars on Free State soil.

Former Barca winger, Abde Ezzalzouli, injected a lot of energy late in the game - Morgan Piek

The afternoon kick-off, brought forward from the original 19:30 slot because of Morocco's travel arrangements, undoubtedly kept some supporters away.

Those who were there, though, were treated to something rather special - international football, world-class players and a taste of the global game right in the heart of Bloemfontein.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport