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Rabat – Morocco’s U-23 Atlas Lions scored an impressive 5-1 win against Ghana on Tuesday in Rabat, as part of the second round of the group stage of the U-23 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Morocco’s Amir Richardson opened the scoring early with a goal in the sixth minute, followed closely by Ismael Saibari in the 14th minute of the match.
Yanis Begraoui’s third goal in the 29th minute further tipped the scale in favor of Morocco before the end of the first half.
Towards the end of the first half, Ghana’s Salim Adams scored the first goal for his team in the 42nd minute, to finish the first half with a 3-1 score.
The win rate increased for Morocco when Abde Ezzalzouli scored the fourth goal three minutes after the start of the second half.
Eager to attain their objective, the Moroccan team sealed the win with a fifth goal by Begraoui at minute 53, thus ending the game with a remarkable 5-1 score.
This win enabled Morocco’s team to secure a place in the tournament’s semi-finals but also brought them closer to qualifying to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where Morocco last participated in 2012.
The Moroccan U-23 team kicked off their campaign on a positive note, securing a close victory over Guinea with a score of 2-1.
While the Atlas Lions found themselves trailing at halftime, they turned the tide in the second half by capitalizing on two penalty kicks, expertly converted by FC Barcelona player Abde Ezzalzouli.
Ezzalzouli, who recently made waves with the senior national team in the World Cup as well, proved instrumental in the team’s success. Currently, the Atlas Lions are on an impressive four-game winning streak and have their sights set firmly on reaching the knockout phase.
Meanwhile, the Ghana team experienced success in their opening match, securing a 3-2 victory over Congo.
Despite holding a comfortable three-goal lead until the end of the game, they conceded two goals in stoppage time. Emmanuel Yeboah, who plays for CFR Cluj, played a crucial role in Ghana’s triumph.
The striker scored a brace and provided an assist for Ernest Nuanma of Norschelland. In contrast to the Moroccans’ stellar record, the Black Stars’ recent results have been relatively modest.
They entered the tournament undefeated, having drawn against Egypt (1-1) and Algeria (1-1) in the lead-up.
Abdellah Erraji contributed to this story.
