Rabat – Morocco’s national football team triumphed 2-1 against Niger after a strong comeback during extra time, securing three important points in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
The match started with Morocco showing strong attacking intent and pushing forward in search of an early goal. In addition, the Atlas Lions dominated possession of the ball with nearly 70%.
However, the team failed to break through the Nigerien defense and find the back of the net during the first half of the game, which ended in a deadlock.
Two minutes into the second half, Niger’s Youssouf Oumarou broke the tie and put his team in the lead. Soon after, in the 59th minute of the game, Morocco managed to equalize thanks to a goal by Ismael Saibari.
Despite several attempts in the second half, Morocco could not find a winning goal. Just when it seemed like the Atlas Lions needed to wait for their next matches to confirm their spot in the World Cup, Bilal El Khannouss delivered a surprise during extra time.
One minute into added time, the 20-year-old midfielder scored the decisive goal that secured the victory for Morocco.
Following today’s game, Morocco is set to lock horns with Tanzania next week as part of Matchday 6 of the African qualifiers.
This match further strengthened Morocco’s position in their qualifying group, though the result may be seen as a slight disappointment, as many had expected the team to comfortably win the game. The team entered the match as favorites to win the game, with predictions expecting an easy 5-0 or 6-0 win for Morocco.
Still, the Atlas Lions remain at the top of Group E, ahead of Niger, Tanzania, Zambia, and Congo.
BY: The Times Union
