Rabat – Mali’s national team coach, Tom Saintfiet, said that Morocco lost its structure at a key moment during the 1-1 draw between the two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) group stage.
Speaking at the post-match press conference last night, Saintfiet said Morocco played well at the start of the game, but things changed after several substitutions.
“After the changes, the Moroccan team had no structure,” the Mali coach said. He added that the starting lineup was strong, but after “three changes and then two more,” he did not see a clear idea in Morocco’s play.
Saintfiet explained that Mali took advantage of this situation, especially during transitions. “We found chances to punish Morocco in transition,” he said, noting that his team created two or three dangerous opportunities thanks to the quality of his players.
The coach also said Mali remained dangerous near the end of the match and believed his starting players could have continued longer. According to him, the changes affected Morocco’s balance on the pitch.
Brahim Diaz scored Morocco’s goal through a penalty kick at the end of the first half, with Lassine Sinayoko scoring Mali’s equalizer in the 64th minute of the game, also through a penalty kick.
Despite yesterday’s draw, Morocco remains top of Group A. Mali is second, followed by Comoros in third place and Zambia at the bottom of the group.
Morocco will face Zambia on Monday in their next group-stage match, as fans wait to see how the group standings will shape up.
