"At last, Morocco have arrived at the tournament they are hosting. For four games they had played scratchy, crabbed football. Finally, in a spiky, ill-tempered quarter-final, there was something more like the Morocco that reached the semi-final of the World Cup just over three years ago. If the game wasn't fluent, that was largely Cameroon's doing as they spoiled and sought treatment."
"But the hosts, for the most part, retained their cool, protecting a lead earned with verve in the first half with maturity in the second. In previous games, Morocco had looked tense, limbs leadened by the expectation of a country that last won the Cup of Nations 50 years ago and has spent a vast amount on football-related infrastructure as it prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup."
Morocco delivered a stronger, more composed performance in a spiky quarter-final while hosting the tournament. The hosts pressed aggressively from the start, energized by a loud crowd at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, and converted a corner when Ayoub El Kaabi headed down for Brahim Diaz to score. Cameroon repeatedly disrupted play, sought treatment, and suffered a genuine injury to right wing-back Junior Tchamadeu that affected their marking. Coach Walid Regragui had faced earlier criticism, but Morocco retained calm and maturity to protect their lead. The match reflected the weight of national expectation and recent infrastructure investment ahead of co-hosting 2030.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]