Laughter and songs. Tears, too, but of joy and immense pride. Dreams, when they take shape, therefore have the virtue of shaking up everything and spreading the most beautiful emotions like a virus. Since that of Morocco is in progress, a wind of madness hit Rabat this Wednesday in a Moulay Abdellah stadium relieved of a weight which had weighed it down for more than twenty years.
For the first time since 2004 and the edition in Tunisia, for the third time in its history, Morocco qualified for the final of the African Cup of Nations at the end of a match that a Nigeria in total opposition prevented it from winning before a chilling penalty shootout which made hearts palpitate like never before. The heroes of the nation, until then had been the scorers Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi, this Wednesday it was Yassine Bounou, the goalkeeper who made two saves on Chukwueze and Onyemaechi, who took over.
Opening the ball with three African Golden Balls on the pitch, two on the Nigerian side, one in the Moroccan ranks, nevertheless gave, before kick-off, an idea of the potential level of this final-like meeting. The intensity deployed by the troops of Achraf Hakimi, 2025 winner, immediately dotted the i’s. And told the Eagles of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, his two predecessors at the CAF Awards, that Morocco was not playing an African Cup semi-final this Wednesday but a qualifying final for the closing ceremony of the CAN festival delivering the Palme d’Or.
The thunder of decibels, even more deafening than four days earlier during the quarter-final won against Cameroon, has long had the effect of adrenaline shots on the Atlas Lions. Tuesday, Walid Regragui asked the spectators who filled the stands to play the 12th man and to break their voices. Message received, the whistles of the “kop” of 70,000 people like an invasion of locusts also had the capacity to break the wings of the Super Eagles.
Morocco took up the physical challenge
The physical challenge, which they were promised to have the greatest difficulties to meet, the Atlas Lions quite unexpectedly dominated head and shoulders during most of the meeting. The most impressive collective of the tournament until then, both from an athletic point of view and on a technical level, Nigeria was, this time, only the shadow of the one who had overcome the Algerian obstacle with the power of an untouchable giant.
Worse still since the energy deployed by the Moroccans has long forced the best attack in the competition – 14 goals scored – to curl up on its bases and play impregnable fortresses. With the exception of Ademola Lookman’s strike, repelled by Yacine Bounou (14th), the Nigerians mainly showed their resistance.
That was necessary this Wednesday to prevent Brahim Diaz from scoring his sixth goal from the left (9th) or with his head (29th), El Kaabi from planting another scissor (28th), Hakimi from scoring his free kick (35th), Saibari (40th) or Ezzlzouli (51st, 84th) from hitting the mark. Despite 12 shots to 2 at the end of the first extra time, Nigeria, who had their first corner in the 96th minute, will resist until the verdict falls during the penalty shootout.
An appointment is therefore made on Sunday at 8 p.m. in a stadium in Rabat that Achraf Hakimi and his family now know by heart. This weekend for the last match of the competition, it is Senegal of Sadio Mané, who defeated Egypt in the first semi-final, who will face them. A new poster, the Lions of the Atlas and those of Téranga having never crossed paths in the African Cup.
