The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Morocco-South Africa 1:1, Nigeria-Benin 2:1

Feb 4 1700 GMT South Africa - Morocco 1:1 (final score)
parallel: Nigeria - Benin 2:1 (final score)
at 90th minute: 1. Morocco 2. Nigeria
South Africa need:
to score 4 unanswered goals
or to score themselves and Benin to equalise in the parallel match

Before the match:

Morocco	2	5-0	6
Nigeria	2	4-1	3
South Africa	2	2-4	3
Benin	2	0-6	0

in theory every team can still qualify, to see who will advance when open
> all the scenarios
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1st half:
- South Africa in white, Morocco in all green. Youssef Hadji and Zairi are both in the starting line up.
-'1-'15
-a crowded midfield. South Africa try with long crosses, Morocco only dangerous with counter attacks by quick combinations when space available. Both are not very successful with their strategy yet
-('16)('18) ironically Morocco are half dangerous for the first time through a number of corner kicks
-('19) But it is a counter attack which provides Morocco with a clearcut chance. Zairi has broke free from defenders but his shot from 10 meters is well saved by Arendse, who is in the South African goal today
-('26) Buckley with a nasty looking challenge
-('28) Morocco are dangerous through a deflected cross
- Morocco are the better team, based on a crowded solid defence
-('30) for the first time South Africa have space for a counter attack, though Nomvete and Mayo are inferior in number. Nomvete makes a cross from the right and the Moroccan keeper and Naybet fail to clear. Mayo sneaks in and scores - 1:0
-('32) Morocco dangerous again from a set piece. A free kick cross from the right finds Zairi who heads the ball against the outside of the goalpost
-('37) clumsy challenge against Zairi inside the South African penalty area
-('38) Safri converts with a powerful accurate low shot into the corner to his left - 1:1
-parallel match: Nigeria score through Lawal after a corner

halftime 1:1
An intense match. The Moroccans leave no space neither to attackers nor midfielders, they attack the South Africans already when dfenders build up and the Bafana Bafana obviously don't like it.
Morocco very likely is keen on winning the group to avoid Cameroon.

2nd half:
-('51) Kharja must stop Zuma by a professional foul, but the free kick from 17 meters, half right, does not harm at all
-('59) Morocco counter attack: zairi cross on Mokhtari but his direct attempt goes like a rocket into the air
-Morocco have continued to make life hard for the South Africans who do not find ways through the agressively attacking Moroccan eleven, who are all defending when South Africa in possession
-('65) South African defence looks odd at a Moroccan cross and almost produces an own goal
-While Morocco can stop almost all South African attacks, it does not look that way on the other side. Of course the South Africans concentrate more on attacking. Only they do not get far.
-'66-'75 it is not much happening in front of the goals
-parallel match: Nigeria score when a Benin defender tries a solorun in his own penalty area, loses the ball against Utaka who takes the ball away from him and scores easily
-('78) good opportunity for South Africa: the Moroccan keeper parries Nomvetes shot on the far corner
-('85) Morocco: good counter attack by Morocco, Zairi through on Hadji but his shot is saved by Arendse
-('86) South Africa: was it a cross or died he really want to surprise the Moroccan keeper? Nomvete fires from the right (it indeed looks more like a shot) and the Moroccan keeper is expecting a cross. But the ball goes right on target and with the keeper clearly beaten clashes against the outside of the post
-parallel match: Benin score when Latoundji directly converts a long throw in
-('90 4) Morocco face two free kick crosses by South Africa but defend them easily and are more dangerous themselves on the counter attack: Zairi is stopped by a foul 20 meters, central to the goal
-('90 6) the ball into the wall, match over