By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
…Famous Sports Journalist Dies in Rabat …
THE ATLAS Lions of Morocco on Wednesday night in Rabat glided into the 35th AFCON finals beating the Super Eagles of Nigeria in a pulsating penalty shootout 4-2 after the game ended 0-0 at 120 minutes.
It was the second penalty shootout at this tournament, the first between Mali and Tunisia in the R16.
It was the 9th penalty shootout for Nigeria and 4th for Morocco that won her first shootout at AFCON.
Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi who played well in the match but lost their kicks were full of tears.
Paul Onuachu who played just a minute of the match scored along with Dele Bashiru who was also a substitute.
Yousef En Nesri was the match winner for Morocco; Igamane, 20-year-old Shegir and Hakimi scored theirs while El Aynaoui got his kick saved by Nwabali.
The match proper was beyond stats, long passes, possessions, dribbles attacks or defence but of individual skills and tactics.
Morocco appeared not to want the penalty kicks as their changes were attackers only pressurizing Nigeria to score as they were in a hurry to end the match.
Nigerian attackers in Victor Osimhen who was injured, Ademola Lookman and Akor were thoroughly marked out of the game.
Calvin Bassey got a yellow in the 33rd minute for rough tackle and will miss the next match but Wilfred Ndidi should be back.
The Stadium was full of red of the Moroccan supporters who booed the Nigerian players on entering the pitch and on every good move of the Nigerians lamenting when their players were stopped from getting a goal.
It has become the 2nd ever finals for Morocco to play at AFCON since 2004.
Nigeria faces their od foes Egypt in the 3rd place match on Saturday 17th January at 5.00pm in Casablanca and the grand finale between two Lions, Teranga Lions of Senegal and Atlas Lions will be on Sunday 18th January at 8.00pm in Rabat.
To get into the semifinal Morocco scored 9 goals conceding only a goal with 4 clean slates as the team won Comoros 2-0; drew 1-1 with Mali and beat Zambia 3-1 at the group stages before narrowly piping Tanzania by a lone goal in the round of 16 games and then beat Cameroon 2-0 in the quarterfinal.
Nigeria scored a whopping 14 goals conceding 4 with 2 clean slates beating Tanzania 2-1; defeating Tunisia 3-2 and halting Uganda 3-1 at the group games before mauling Mozambique with a thunderous 4-0 and then silenced Algeria 2-0 in the quarterfinal that pained Algeria so much that they pursued the Ref to the dressing room like a hunter hunting Rabbit.
Nigeria ranked 38 in the world is making her 21st appearances at the Mundial winning the title three times in 1980, 1994 and 2013 won Silver five times and Bronze eight times.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco ranked 11 in the world appeared 20 times at the Mundial winning the tile once in 1976 in Ethiopia, winning the Silver in 2004, never won Bronze but placed 4th twice.
A sad news oozed out of Rabat on Wednesday of a famous Malian Sports Journalist, Mohammed Soumane who was found dead in his hotel room in Rabat where he positioned himself to cover both the semifinals and finals.
It is not yet known what killed Soumane. CAF is however investigating the matter and would soon issue a public statement on the incidence.
#AFCON25 #CAF #FRMF #FMF #SAFA
#FAFA #EFA #NFF.
