FULL TIME: MOROCCO 1 – 1 CAPE VERDE
Orange 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Group A match between Cape Verde and Morocco will be the official senior meeting of the two teams.
The Atlas Lions and the Blue Sharks will clash at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on today Wednesday. The Blue Sharks have never played the Atlas Lions in any official matches before, talking of friendly match or encounter in any competitive.
Group A is wide open after both matches on Saturday in Soweto ended goalless draws-Cape Verde v South Africa and Morocco v Angola.
Lucio Antunes coach of the Blus Sharks is hopeful that his team will this time around score their first goal in the Africa Cup of Nations against the North Africans.
“We played to win but we were not successful”, he said after the 0-0 draw with Bafana Bafana.
“Playing against South Africa has passed, it is now preparing for the game with morocco to try to score.”
Group: Group A, first game
At: Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Date: 23/01/2013
Kick off:(20:00), 18:00pm
Cape Verde:
Vozinha, Gege,
F. Varela, Neves,
Nivaldo, Babanco,
Soares, T. Varela,
Platini, Mendes, Tavares.
Morocco:
Lamyaghri, Chakir,
Benatia, El Adoua,
Bergdich, Barrada,
El Ahmadi, Belhanda
Amrabat, Assaidi, El Hamdaoui.
It has been 37 years since Morocco last won the AfricanCup of Nations and the Moroccanfans have genuine hope that this set of players can compete for the trophy. With the likes of Montpellier’s Younes Belhanda, Liverpool’s Oussama Assaidi and Fiorentina’s Mounir El Hamdaoui in the ranks, the Cape Verde defence could be in for a tough game tonight.
Early chance for Cape Verde! Marco Soares fizzes in a teasing freekick which is flicked on by the shoulder of Julio Tavares, forcing Nadir Lamyaghri to tip the ball over the crossbar. Morocco clears from the resulting corner. Good start from the Blue Sharks.
Julio Tavares has two attempts to break the deadlock, first seizing on a lost ball inside the box but his shot is deflected into Lamyaghri’s gloves before he then dispossesses Chakir inside the Moroccan half, but his shot from distance skews horribly wide of the target.
Nordin Amrabat bursts to the byline before sending in a low cross which is well dealt with by Fernando Neves. A real lack of urgency from the Moroccan players to fill the penalty box there.
Abderrahim Chakir is the first player to be cautioned for a foul on Platini just outside the box. This is a great freekick opportunity for Cape Verde. How many chances does Cape Verde need? When the ball is lofted into the box, Mendes heads the ball back excellently for Platini but the Santa Clara attacker slices an effort wide of the goal.
CAPE VERDE SCORES THEIR FIRST EVER AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS GOAL! Ryan Mendes is the architect as he splits the Morocco defence with an incisive through pass and Platini seizes on the ball and casually dinks it over the advancing Lamyaghri. You can’t say Cape Verde don’t deserve it!
Ryan Mendes receives Cape Verde’s first caution for a foul in Barrada. You have to admire this Cape Verde work ethic. They are chasing every lost ball and are on the backs of the Moroccan players whenever they receive a pass. Just brilliant from Lucio Antunes’ side.
Morocco look to threaten at the end of the half but Chekir’s cross from the right is headedclear by Neves. Karim El Ahmadi strikes a freekick from 25 yards out but the Cape Verdewall stands firm to block. Can Morocco find a way through?
Positive end to the half for the Lions of the Atlas. Barrada looks to slip in a pass for El Hamdaoui but the Fiorentina forward is jockeyed excellently by Varela who produces a wonderful interception.
HALF TIME: MOROCCO 0 – 1 CAPE VERDE. Platini’s 36th-minute strike gives the BlueSharks a hugely deserved lead at the break. Their work ethic has been admirable and coach Lucio Antunes will be delighted with how his side have dominated the first half. Rachid Taoussi’s Morocco simply have not turned up and if they do not step it up, Cape Verde will surely claim their first ever African Cup of Nations victory.
Cape Verde threaten a second goal when Fernando Neves finds himself in an unfamiliar attacking position and he crosses into the box for his central defensive partner Fernando Varela who sends a powerful header narrowly over the crossbar.
EL ARABI GOES CLOSE! Having scored the equaliser, the Granada forward should double his tally when he meets a corner from the right unmarked but his glancing header goes just the wrong side of the post.
In 79minutes, another GOAL! FromMorocco by Youssef El Arabi.
CAPE VERDE GOES SO CLOSE TO REGAINING THE LEAD! Heldon breaks the offside trap to latch onto Babanco’s clever slide-pass but his shot across goal lacks conviction and Lamyaghri manages to get a hand to the effort.What a chance that was for Cape Verde!
Babanco lofts a brilliant ball over the back line for Heldon to chase and the Maritimo forwardis just beaten to it by the advancing Lamyaghri. Wonderful sweeper-goalkeeping.
A pulsating affair here in Durban with Morocco claiming a spoil of the shares courtesy of Yousef El Arabi’s second-half equaliser. Cape Verde could have been out of sight in the first half and they will rue their lack of profligacy in front of goal. With the game against Angola to come, qualification to the knockout stages is still very much a possibility for the Blue Sharks.
Read also:
http://en.africatopsports.com/2013/01/23/afcon-2013-cape-verde-vs-morocco-players-to-watch-out-for