صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
The Moroccan national team continued its journey in the African Cup of Nations held in Morocco, and secured a ticket to the quarter-finals after defeating the Tanzania national team with an unanswered goal, in the match that took place on Sunday evening on the grounds of Prince Moulay Abdullah Stadium, in the presence of a crowd of more than 63 thousand spectators.
Moroccan international Ibrahim Diaz scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute, giving the “Atlas Lions” a deserved qualification, and confirming his strong presence in the current tournament, as he raised his tally to four goals, making him top the scorers list ahead of his compatriot Ayoub El Kaabi, Algerian Riyad Mahrez, and Malian Lassine Senayoko.
The match witnessed clear difficulties for the Moroccan team in penetrating the Tanzanian defensive structure, especially in the first half, which saw the cancellation of a goal by Ismail Sibari due to offside after returning to video technology, in addition to multiple opportunities that were not translated into goals. At the beginning of the second half, Morocco intensified its offensive pressure, before Diaz succeeded in exploiting Achraf Hakimi’s pass inside the penalty area, manipulating the defender and shooting a powerful ball with his left foot that went into the net.
With this victory, Morocco puts an end to the adventure of Tanzania, which reached the qualifying rounds for the first time in its history, while the Moroccan national team continues its quest to win the continental title for the second time in its history, after the 1976 title, and the first in five decades.
In the quarter-finals, the Moroccan national team will face Cameroon, the five-time defending champion, in an anticipated match next Friday at the same stadium.
Despite the atmosphere of joy at qualifying, national team coach Walid Regragui announced poignant news, marking the end of midfielder Azzedine Ounahi’s career in the tournament, due to a tear in his left calf that he suffered during Saturday’s training session. Regragui explained, during the press conference following the match, that the player’s absence will range between five and six weeks, which means he will be absent from the rest of the “Alcan” competitions.
The national team coach confirmed that Onahi’s absence was a major shock within the group, given his technical and leadership role on and off the field, noting that the players were keen to achieve victory in honor of their injured colleague.
The Moroccan national team continues its preparations for the next tournament, amid great public ambition to continue the positive results and pass the Cameroon station on the way to competing for the continental title.
Source:My press
