16 hours. It’s snack time. And the promise of a sweet match between two North African football nations. Sunday, January 30, at the Ahmadou-Ahidjo stadium, under the equatorial breeze of Yaoundé, Egypt faces Morocco during this last day of the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations (CAN). The poster is beautiful – even under a gray sky – and the stakes are huge: a place in the semis against the host country: Cameroon.
After an intense, nervous and tough match that ended at the end of extra time (2-1), the Pharaohs will have the right to challenge the Indomitable Lions on their lands on February 3.
However, since the start of the tournament, Morocco has grown in power. In each battle (Ghana, Comoros, Gabon, Malawi), the team took ” confidence “, as noted by Vahid Halilhodzic, his emblematic coach. In four games, the Moroccans have scored seven goals, two of which by the in-form man, a tireless piston: Achraf Hakimi.
This young boy, born in the capital of another kingdom (Madrid), planted two sumptuous free kicks; the last allowed his country to snatch, against the valiant Malawi (2-1), the qualification for the quarters. With his chiseled passes and his lungs of steel, the Paris-Saint-Germain player has clearly established himself as a leader of the team. Even his club teammate, a certain Kylian Mbappé, recently tweeted: “Ashraf Hakimi. Best right back in the world. »
Opposite, the Pharaohs have shone little since the start of the CAN: a defeat, two goals in four games and an adored conductor, who can, at any moment, change the destiny of a match. However, the captain, Mohamed Salah, star of Liverpool, national idol, lacks brilliance in this CAN (one goal) even if his last performance against Côte d’Ivoire in the eighth was more twirling than the previous ones.
Star in the making versus planetary star
Hakimi, 23, star in the making, facing Salah, 29, planetary star: the duel is on. Moreover, the organizers were not mistaken: they chose to show the faces of the two men on the poster – broadcast on the giant screen – to present the match.
Side bleachers, the Egyptian supporters are in number, much more than the Moroccans. Due to the closure of the kingdom’s borders, since November 29, 2021 due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant, only fans from the diaspora, from France in particular, have made the trip to the sacred land of Lions. The Cameroonians continue to support the Egyptians, as they did during the duel against Côte d’Ivoire.
The match begins, no time to observe each other: the two teams move forward from the first minutes. Then Hakimi slaloms on his right side, overflows before being badly mown in the surface (3and). penalty? After viewing the video, the referee grants it. The attacker Sofiane Boufal transforms it: Morocco leads. Inevitably, everything changes: the Pharaohs are forced to take action. And they will multiply them: they play as if their life depended on it and take possession of the leather. The Pharaohs push and Salah pushes the Moroccans to the fault, often not far from the surface.
The Egyptians Ashraf and Abdelmoneim try strikes but each time the Moroccan goalkeeper, Yassine Bounon, comes out with a nice save. The Pharaohs do not let go, hoping that the white wall will eventually crack. The game is technical, the tackles are supported and the tension rises. The Egyptian bench is untenable, coach Carlos Queiroz is overexcited and even allows himself to set foot on the lawn.
On the grass, his men look for their beacon, Salah, always well marked, dangerous in his accelerations and who, in small spaces, (almost) always manages to find a solution for a teammate. But the Lions are vigilant in defense.
Egypt is back
The first period passed quickly. The stadium fills up. The supporters of Senegal respond present: in less than three hours, the Lions of Teranga will face the surprising Equatorial Guinea. Suddenly, as soon as Salah touches the ball, the stadium ignites. Normal, it is the partner of Sadio Mané in Liverpool.
Egypt is not slowing down: Hassan “Trezeguet”, who came into play, brings even more rhythm to the attack. Then, on a corner, Abdelmoneim takes the ball with his head, Bounou pushes it back into the feet of Salah, who just has to slip it into the empty goal (53and). The captain equalizes, the stadium shakes, the hero of a whole people relieves the fatherland. Morocco has let their opponents decide the game too much.
The Lions seem to be weakening, even if Hakimi is very close to scoring on yet another free kick (73and). The meeting is less attractive than in the first period, but the tension has not subsided: the players are on the verge of a general fight. The match is interrupted by repeated faults. The referee chooses not to punish at all costs, and even less the Egyptian staff on the bench, still nervous and bad spirited.
After a little slump, Morocco finds a breath. A whim from Nayef Aguerd could have changed everything; but the Egyptian goalkeeper miraculously deflects it on the crossbar… End of regulation time. It’s time for overtime.
Egypt is on the attack; Salah is untenable. After an overflow and a virtuoso ride, the captain serves Trezeguet, who does not miss. The stadium bursts with joy. The Moroccans will not come back to score. It’s the end: the Atlas Lions are lying down, they ran out of ” confidence “. Hakimi missed his duel. Tonight, Mohamed Salah proved he is one of the best strikers in the world; in legs, it was like seeing the Liverpool guide. Forget his first disappointing matches.
Egypt is back: this is its first semi-final in a CAN since 2017. In this tournament, the Pharaohs seem to want an eighth crown at all costs.