Morocco World News
Morocco World News
Rabat, July 6, 2012
The Moroccan national team won on Friday, in Saudi Arabia, the 9th edition of the Arab Cup of Nations, after beating Libya in a penalty shoot-out.
Morocco was leading in the score since the 5th minute of the first half of the game. Brahim EL Bahri opened the score for the Atlas Lions in a match marked by fierce competition from the Libyan team.
In the absence of a second goal that could have sealed the fate of the game, the Atlas Lions was forced to defend their tiny advantage.
While everybody was expecting the game to end with this score, Libya snatched the equalizer at the 88th minutes, forcing the Moroccans to play the extra time.
During the penalty shout-out, Moroccans were luckier than their Libyan counterparts, as they won 3-1. This is the first time that Moroccans win their first Arab title.
Morocco was represented during this Arab Cup by players coming exclusively from the national league.
This is the first positive result achieved by Eric Gerets since he was entrusted with the destiny of the Atlas Lions in November 2010. This title might help the Belgian coach keep his job at the helm of the Moroccan team.
