- South Africa takes the lead in Group B
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Earlier in the day, Mali and Zambia drew 1-1 in Casablanca
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Mohamed Salah gives Egypt three points
Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe
Scorers: Marmoush 63rd, M. Salah 90th / P.Dube 20th
Egypt overthrew Zimbabwe after a long frustrating match and eventually won 2-1 in Agadir. The Pharaohs confiscated the ball from the kick-off and multiplied the chances, but they came up against a compact Zimbabwean block and a decisive Arubi. Trezeguet and Salah missed the opener, while Marmoush forced the opposing goalkeeper to work.
Against the run of play, Zimbabwe struck first. In the 20th minute, Jalai burst down the wing before serving to Prince Dube, who turned in the box and beat El Shenawy with a precise shot. The Warriors even almost doubled the lead, but the Egyptian goalkeeper saved his side on several occasions. At the break, Egypt trailed despite clearly dominating.
Returning from the locker room, the Pharaohs increased the pressure. Marmoush showed himself to be more and more sharp and ended up equalizing in the 63rd minute, after an individual exploit on the wing concluded alone. Reinvigorated, Egypt pushed relentlessly. Zizo and Adel missed the target, while Salah continued to weigh on the defense.
Deliverance came in added time. In the 90th minute, Mohamed Salah controlled a ball high in the box, resisted marking and scored by laying down his shot. Zimbabwe, very close to the feat, gave in at the last moment.
The post-match reaction
Omar Marmoush – TotalEnergies Man of the Match: “It was a difficult match. Our start was not the best. But the most important thing is the victory. We created a lot of chances without being able to score quickly but in the end, everything went well. We kept a good state of mind and we finished the match well. We will learn from everything that happened in tonight’s match.”
South Africa 2-1 Angola
Scorers: O. Appollis 17th, L.Foster 79th / Show 34th
South Africa dominated Angola after a lively match and ended up winning 2-1 at the Grand Stade de Marrakech. Bafana Bafana started the match well and quickly took the lead. In the 17th minute, Oswin Appollis took advantage of a poorly cleared ball in the area to feint twice and beat Hugo Marques with a cross shot.
After this opening score, the South Africans fell back and lost the thread. Angola mounted the cursor, especially on set pieces. Gelson Dala was dangerous with a header, before Show equalized in the 34th minute. On a free kick from Fredy at the near post, the Angolan midfielder deflected the ball and deceived Ronwen Williams.
The second half changed. Hugo Broos launched Moremi, and South Africa regained control. Mbokazi found the bar, Foster had a goal disallowed for offside, but the pressure remained constant. In the 79th minute, Lyle Foster made the difference. After a high recovery and a delivery from Nkota, the striker curled a sumptuous shot into Marques’ top corner.
Angola tried to react, without any real clear opportunity. Bafana Bafana defended well until the end and conceded nothing in the final minutes. South Africa confirmed its rise in power and logically won this first match of the group.
The post-match reaction
Lyle Foster – TotalEnergies Man of the Match – South Africa: “When I got the ball, I told myself I had to make a difference. I believed in it, success smiled at me and it worked. We started the meeting well, got off to a good start, and that allows us to move forward. The main thing was to take the three points, that was our objective. Now we can build on this success and focus on the next match against Egypt. »
Mali 1-1 Zambia
Buteur : L. Sinayoko 61e / P. Daka 90+2
Mali dominated Zambia in a tense match at the Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca. The Eagles controlled possession from the start, but struggled to convert their chances. Mamadou Sangaré and Lassine Sinayoko were dangerous, but Zambian goalkeeper Willard Mwanza made several key saves, notably on a penalty from El Bilal Touré.
Deliverance came in the 25th minute. Sinayoko took advantage of a mix-up in the box and sent a cannonball under the bar, opening the score for Mali. Zambia reacted in the second half and increased their counterattacks with Fashion Sakala, but the Malian defense and Diaby repelled several hot actions.
Twenty minutes from time, the Malian coach made a double defensive change to preserve the advantage, replacing Nene and Touré with Doumbia and Diarra. Sinayoko almost doubled the lead with a curling shot that grazed the top corner.
In added time, Zambia equalized. Patson Daka took advantage of a marking error and placed a diving header which deceived the Malian goalkeeper. The score therefore became 1-1, giving Chipolopolo a valuable point after a tense end to the match.
Mali led the entire match, but had to settle for a draw. The Eagles showed their technical superiority, but Zambia knew how to punish their small flaw at the end of the match.
Post-match reactions
Tom Saintfiet – Mali coach: “The equalizer hurt a lot. We were aiming for three goals in this match. Our difficulties began after the missed penalty. We must not let ourselves be carried away by emotions. I would have preferred to take three points against Zambia, especially after our control of the match for 90 minutes. This equalizer looked like a victory for Zambia and a defeat for us. We now have to prepare well for the next matches. Zambia has good players in the middle, they prevented us from achieving our goals. From now on, We need at least a point against Morocco in the next match. We have to finish second in the group. We said we wanted to go to the final, and that’s still possible.
Moses Sichone – Zambia coach: “My players did the job against Mali. It was our opening match and it was not easy. We conceded a goal at an unexpected moment, a gift that we gave them, and which will have to be corrected. A match lasts 90 minutes, you should never give up. That’s why I pushed my players until the end. We are in a tough group and I congratulate Morocco for their victory against the Comoros. Our next opponent, the Comoros, delivered a serious match. We will prepare well and continue to work. We have arguments and ready players.”
