APA-Rabat (Morocco) The Atlas Lions of Morocco, heralded as one of the undisputed favourites to win the latest Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON), suffered an early exit.
By Hicham Alaoui
The World Cup semifinalists lost the round of 16 match against South Africa (0-2) in San Pedro on Tuesday.
The Atlas Lions, ambitious after their semi-final appearance at the World Cup in Qatar, were confronted with a difficult reality by a ruthless Bafana Bafana side which were stubborn to break down.
The turning point of the match was Achraf Hakimi’s late penalty miss.
Although “ifs” don’t remake the world, they do carry a lot of weight in football.
The Moroccans are particularly aware of this, recalling the semi-final heartbreak against Egypt when Hakim Ziyech missed, accelerating the team’s downfall. This time, against South Africa (0-2), it was Achraf Hakimi who lost his lucidity at the crucial moment.
Four years after a similar elimination against Benin in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Atlas Lions relived the same nightmare. The haunting thought of Hakim Ziyech’s missed penalty in Egypt in 2019 is haunting them again, this time with Achraf Hakimi.
The match was marked by the superiority of the South Africans, who showed remarkable composure and were able to seize chances when they presented themselves to punish the opponents of the day.
Despite being considered favourites going into the fixture, the Atlas Lions never really got to grips with the game, despite a promising first half.
The disappointment was compounded by the fact that Morocco had a clear path to the finals with the successive eliminations of Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Egypt and above all Senegal.
It amounted to a missed opportunity for the Atlas Lions, who are struggling to live up to their status as tournament favourites.
Since losing the final to Tunisia in 2004, Morocco have suffered a series of disappointments, despite some
notable performances.
Walid Regragui, the Moroccan coach, takes full responsibility for this premature end to Morocco’s AFCON campaign.
Despite his initial confidence, he acknowledges that the brutal reality of African football can catch up with any team at any time.
He will reflect and analyse the mistakes made by his team, while vowing to make up for it at the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil in 2025.
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