By Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line
… Silence Morocco by a Lone Goal Powered By Pape Gueye
THE BUBBLE for the quest of hosts, Atlas Lions to win their second title in 50 years got busted from pressures of a massive home support; the strong desire of a nation to win at all cost and a team that got their confidence late to play their football at the famous Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat when irrepressible Teranga Lions beat them 1-0 to claim their 2nd title in five years on a foreign and hostile land.
French born Villarreal player, Pape Gueye sent the Moroccan Lions to sleep in the 94th minute of play when he received a pass from 33-year-old Sadio Mane weaved his way around a cluster of legs and released a powerful left footer that beat proficient Goalkeeper Bono of Morocco. Gueye had scored a brace to sink Sudan at the group games.
The match was full of expected drama and fear. The match was abandoned when Malick Diouf was alleged to have climbed Brahim Diouf which Ref Jean-Jacques Ndala in the dying minutes of the match and the Senegalese withdrew form the match going into the dressing room before Sadio Mane and Goalkeeper Mende begged the team to return to the turf and conclude the match. You can be sure CAF will ‘cut their throat’ with sanctions after the tournament.
Ref Ndala from DR Congo had dismissed a goal for Senegal without consultation to VAR and miraculously did not check VAR but went ahead to give a late penalty to Morocco.
In the resultant penalty kic after nerves had been calmed, Goalkeeper Mande went to apply a mind tackling moment with Diaz and the ball and the penalty played at added time went straight into the hands of Goalkeeper Mende causing catastrophic heartache for the entire country of Morocco
The pressure was too much for Morocco that the team had no shot on target for the first half when then Senegal had 2 but Morocco had 5-6 shots on target as Senegalese defenders formed a wall of Gibraltar against the rampaging Moroccans.
Morocco changed pumping pressure in the second half from 2 corner kicks in the first half ending with 10 against Senegal that had 4 corner kicks but ended with 8. Senegal played more physical game in the second half to stop the Moroccans from 7-21 foul calls to Morocco’s 5-14 foul calls that birthed 5-2 yellow cards against Senegal.
Morocco was under severe pressure to take advantage of the goodwill before FIFA and CAF to win a trophy that has eluded her 50 years now? Only time they won it was at Ethiopia in 1976 whereas last time Senegal won the trophy was five years ago at Cameroon 2021.
Both Morocco and Senegal met 6 times with Morocco winning four times and Senegal once and a drawn game. Morocco scored 10 of the 13 goals scored.
To get into the grand finale, 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; narrowly piped Tanzania by a lone goal in the round of 16 games; beat Cameroon 2-0 in the quarterfinal and edged Nigeria via penalties 4-2 after playing a goalless 120 minutes.
To reach the grand finale, the Teranga Lions of Senegal scored 12 goals conceding 2 with 3 clean slates beating Botswana 3-0; played 1-1 draw with DR Congo; drub Benin Republic 3-0 all at the group stages; trounced Sudan 3-1 at the round of 16 games; nipped Mali 1-0 in the quarterfinal and then saw off the mighty seven times winner, Pharaohs of Egypt by a lone goal in the semifinal.
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.
The Teranga Lions of Senegal ranked 19 is in their 18th appearances and got their only title at Cameroon 2021. Senegal finished 4th position twice in 1965 and 2006.
We are yet to know the hosts of the AFCON 2027 tournament, but it is likely to to to East Africa but memories will linger for the Stadium in Rabat which is about the best in the world with its 69,500 capacities.
#AFCON25 #CAF #FRMF #FMF #SAFA
#FAFA #EFA #NFF.
