We were expecting Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah. If the two stars showed themselves to their advantage, this Sunday, in Yaoundé (Cameroon) during the clash between Morocco and Egypt, it was finally the Pharaohs who won, after extra time (2-1). Author of a goal and an assist, the Liverpool striker allows his team to join Cameroon in the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations.
What you must remember
There was no observation round between the men of Vahid Halilhodzic and those of Carlos Queiroz. Barely three minutes after kick-off, Hakimi manages to break through the Egyptian defense, at the cost of a personal exploit. The Moroccan gets a penalty, perfectly transformed by Sofiane Boufal.
The meeting then switches to a boring false rhythm. Two teams in lack of inspiration, technical errors with the shovel and gross faults… The first act will not be remembered. We have to wait for the return of the locker room to witness the Egyptian reaction. Finally offensive, sharper, the Egyptians equalized by the inevitable Salah (53rd), on the lookout to conclude closely, after a stop by Yassine Bounou in front of Mohamed Abdelmonem.
Shortly before the end of regulation time, the Moroccans come very close to victory but Mohamed Abou Gabal diverts the head of Nayef Aguerd on the crossbar. An action during which the second Egyptian goalkeeper – the first was injured in the round of 16, against Côte d’Ivoire – is also injured in the left adductor. It is therefore with its third goalkeeper, the young Mohamed Sobhy, that Egypt is playing extra time.
This one will hardly have to work and will be able to admire, at the other end of the field, the overflow of Salah and his decisive cross for Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, alone at the far post (100th). The score will remain there. As in 2017, the Pharaohs eliminate the Moroccans in the quarter-finals of the CAN. That year, they had failed in the final against… Cameroon, their future opponent in the semi-finals, Thursday (8 p.m.).
The action of the match: Hakimi’s ride
Spearhead of the Atlas Lions, Achraf Hakimi was quick to shine. From the 3rd minute, he showed his burst of speed and his technical qualities to obtain, on his own, a penalty. It all started with a one-two with Nordin Amrabat, forty meters from his goals. From his right wing, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back then set off for 73m of a solitary raid during which he eliminated four opponents, before being mowed down in the box. A personal feat that allows Sofiane Boufal to open the scoring on penalty, with a shot in the skylight.
The flop: indiscipline
Already tense in the first half, the match became even more choppy in the second, disrupted by numerous faults on both sides (23 on the Egyptian side, 16 on the Moroccan side in 90 minutes). Between bad gestures, simulations and incessant refereeing challenges, the performance of the two teams sometimes bordered on the ridiculous in terms of behavior.
Things got worse to the point of witnessing the start of a general fight after yet another foul on Hakimi (76th). Images far from those expected from such a shock.