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Fez – Fresh off the back of an opening-day win over fellow group favorites Ghana, Morocco beat the Comoros national team 2-0 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations 2021.
Morocco’s Atlas Lions gave a boost to their prospects for a third Africa Cup of Nations title as they saw off a tough Ghana side 1-0 on January 10.
Having secured three points in their first game, the Atlas Lions arrived for today’s match with firm determination to overcome the Comoros’ Coelacanths and secure qualification to the next round of AFCON 2021.
Morocco’s Bosnian coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, chose to start the game with a 4-3-3 lineup, with his team’s forward line made up of Tarik Tissoudali, Soufiane Boufal, and Ayoub El Kaabi.
Moroccan players displayed familiar technical compactness and skill as soon as the game kicked off.
Selim Amallah scored the game’s first goal after paralyzing the Comoros’ defense at the minute 16th.
Morocco’s Atlas Lions dominated the Coelacanths during the first half of the game, but failed to translate their multiple attacks into goals.
The second half kicked off with Moroccan players pressuring their opponent, but lacked precision to score more goals.
Halilhodzic made some changes to his lineup, introducing Youssef En-Nesyri for Ayoub El Kaabi, Fayçal Fajr for Tarik Tissoudali, and Zakaria Aboukhlal for Imran Louza.
The second half was a one sided affair for Morocco, as Achraf Hakimi and Youssef En-Nesyri wreaked havoc on the Comoros’ defense.
En-Nesyri missed a penalty kick and deprived Morocco from an additional goal that would have better reflected the team’s well-deserved triumph. That goal did arrive in the 89th minute, but required a VAR review to confirm. Zakaria Aboukhlal scored the goal after few minutes since he substituted Imran Louza
Morocco’s Atlas Lions are set to face Gabon next, on January 18, at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium at 8 p.m. Moroccan time.
