Rabat – Sofiane Boufal, one of the two Atlas Lions players who missed the penalty that made all the difference in their game against Benin along with En-Nesyri, has released an apology to Moroccan fans.
Benin snagged the win after a last-gasp penalty at the end of 120 minutes, which Morocco missed. Boufal, feeling the weight of his responsibility for the loss, has asked the Moroccan public for forgiveness.
“We are all very disappointed to leave CAN today, especially for the Moroccans,” he started the statement by saying.
“We beg your pardon. When I played, I tried to bring my maximum, and I think I did but here’s what I say: the penalties are a lottery, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but we’ll come back stronger, inch’allah!”
The other members of the Atlas Lions expressed similar disappointment, as well as their coach, Herve Renard who went as far as saying he is ashamed.
“It’s not the right time to talk about anything,” said Renard after the game. “The only thing I would like to say is thank you very much to all the fans who came to Egypt to support us.
“I’m a bit ashamed in front of them, and especially about all the people who were supporting us since more than three years.”
“You know in life, of course, some people are against you, but this is life. You just have to look forward and only remember the positive things.”
Read also: Yet Another Soul-Crushing Disappointment for Morocco’s CAN Aspirations
