The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Morocco

Feb 8 1600 GMT Morocco - Algeria 3:1 (after extra-time)

before the match:
A rare chance for outsiders: Mali, Guinea, Morocco, Algeria cannot meet one of the big four tournament favorites before the final. Seldom it was easier for a dark horse team to get into the big exhibition match of African football. > more
The most remarkable here is enthusiasm.
The enthusiasm of the young (young in their development) Moroccan squad has made them the team that has made the most out of their talent of all 16 teams at the 2004 Nations Cup edition, at least so far. One is reminded at the focus Senegalese players displayed when qualifying from a most difficult group for the World Cup 2002. And Morocco have been rewarded with gifts in the right moment: A goal against Nigeria just when the match threatened to turn the West Africans way, a Benin keeper helping them out when struggling to get past a resilient midfield, and a clumsy foul by the South African defence providing the penalty that gave the Moroccans the group's premier place and made them avoid the big guns before a possible final.
Algeria have been carried by the enthusiasm of their supporters in lucky defense battles aginst superior Camerooon and Egypt. When under the psychological pressure of expectations against outsiders Zimbabwe, they faltered. Now they are outsiders again and will be fired up by more than 20000 expected fans to cross the border and support them.
CAF refused to allow the match be moved into a bigger stadium. Unfortunately the reasons for it have not been reported. At least you should think one should be thankful whenever there is a match that promises a larger crowd than usual seen at Nations Cup games without the hosts.

1st half:
-Algeria in white, Morocco in green, a noisy Algerian crowd
-('5) Morocco: Zairi scores a spectacular goal by an overhead volley, but the play had already been whistled dead
-('6) Algeria: Aribi sees an immediate yellow card for an intimidating challenge in the air against Zairi
-('8) Morocco: Ouaddou sees yellow too for a relatively small foul
-the referee probably wants to suffocate any tendencies which could further heat up the atmosphere
-...and Ouaddou already seems scared as he makes a holding foul
-'1-'10: French school appears to show through on both sides: good organisation, pressing, stylish passing, extensive running to cut and create spaces
-('14) a small professional holding foul by Morocco #14 triggers another yellow card.
-only consequent, but if the referee goes on like this, not all players will be still on the pitch at the end
-Algeria begin confident as they did against Egypt in the early stages of that match.
-'15-'25
-defences have the attacking attempts under control and both teams have started to circulate the ball among defenders before they enter midfield where spaces are cut down. Algeria have a little more possession but Morocco penetrate a little deeper when having the ball
-('31) A very rare scene so far: Algeria win a free kick situation on the right hand side, good enough for a cross
-('31) but no danger, the cross is a little short and headed out of the danger zone by a defender
-('34) a similar scene on the other side is whistled dead for a challenge on the keeper
-('35) a rare error by Algeria (Achiou) leads to a counter situation for Zairi, stopped by a small foul, Mansouri sees another immediate yellow for complaining
-('37) the 25 meter free kick by El Karkouri is curled over the bar by a meter
-('38) Algeria do not come closer than a cross, well intercepted by the Moroccan keeper
-maybe it is rather Italian school: safety first and although the match is fast, attackers are always outnumbered. In the end one error or one referee decision will have to be blamed. Maybe too it will play a role who already is booked and has to be more careful while defending
-('45+1) Algeria with a half chance but the long range attempt by #6 is blasted high across the bar

halftime 0:0
An intense but apparently fair, very concentrated played match, defences with almost no mistakes against outnumbered attackers who have not found the brilliance yet to make something out of nothing

2nd half:
-('47) first real opportunity of the match: an Algerian free kick cross from the right. Defender Yahia has escaped marking behind the second post but he does not hit the ball properly with his head and so it goes wide
-('50) Belmadi first takes the pace out of an Algerian counter attack, than his back pass is dangerously slowed down by the pitch. The keeper, well alerted, wins the race for the ball against a Moroccan attacker
-('52) Morocco have a half chance: instead of crossing Mokhtari fires from the left hand side. The keeper is not surprised and makes a flying save against the sharp and maybe surprising attempt
-('55) Zairi provokes a late challenge by Algerian #5, apparently no consequences
-('56) same inconsequence when Moroccan defender El Karkouri makes a flying late challenge. But he might nor really have hit the attacker who rescued his bones by a quick jump
-('60) Morocco: A golden opportunity after #17 Chammakh wins a header against two defenders. The ball falls in front of the goal where Algerians fail to control. In the end the rebound rolls to the feet of El Karkouri who has the goal open and the keeper relatively out of play. He fires from 15 meters but across the bar.
-now the referee is back to hand out quick yellow cards (2 more for small violations)
-Morocco have a bit more of the game now, get dangerous once
-('70) Morocco: after a fine comvbination, Zairi tries it directly (à la Henry) but it is wide by centimeters
-('73) both teams have substituted a player (Ziani for Belmadi at Algeria) and the referee has given another strict yellow card, this time for a Moroccan
-('79) almost it is the Algerian keeper who makes the decisive mistake as he misjudges a ball outside his penalty area, but a defender has raced back in time to back up
-('80) the match is interrupted some seconds because objects (plastic bottles + ?) have been thrown on the pitch. Since halftime also constantly firework noises have accompanied the match from the stands
-('84) Algeria: Achiou delivers a cross. It is unfortunatly deflected by El Karkouri, so that it places #7 Cherrad? in perfect position who scores by a flying header - 0:1
-it had to be some kind of accident leading to a score
-('85) Morocco: Chammakh curves around the keeper hits the goalpost of the deserted goal. The angle had been a bit too tight as well.
-('86) the match breaks open: Algerian counter attack stopped by the keeper.
-('89) error in the Moroccan defence and Algerian #7 Cherrad fires from 20 meters onto the triangle, brilliantly saved
-('90) 5 minutes injury time
-('90+1) Morocco: header after free kick cross saved, very close to crossing the goalline
-('90+3) Morocco pressure and by constant threat finally create hystery in the Algerian defence: a low cross finds Chammakh completely on his own and he has no problems to score from 6 meters - 1:1

result after 90 minutes 1:1
exra time to follow. Wild final 10 minutes with attacking and counter opportunities after the match finally broke open. Now probably back to deadlock.

extra-time 1st half:
-'91-'95
-Algeria sursprisingly have more of the game in the first five minutes of extra-time
-'95-'99
-Morocco slowly become more dangerous, yet eventually stopped by the defence
-('100) Algeria: Yahia almost scores by a surprise sharp 20 meter strike from half left. But with the keeper probably beaten he hits only the outside of the net
-('102) Algeria try a surprise free kick indirectly , but the keeper has well paid attention and no problems to save the curved relatively weak shot
-Algeria look as if being very fit

extra-time 2nd half:
-('113) out of nothing it is Hadji (has come on after about 80 minutes) who makes a great individual effort, outplays a defender and fires into the net - 2:1
-('116) Morocco: Zairi is too tired to make something out of a 3 vs 2 counter situation
-('117) Morocco: Zairi almost scores from the right, the keeper, in the near corner, saves and it rolls parallel to the goalline
-instead of supporting their team, disappointed 'fans' start to distroy stadium seats and throw them onto the pitch
-('120) the Algerians seem more shocked by the behaviour of their supporters and lose concentration defending a counter attack. Zairi finds it easy to curve around the keeper and score - 3:1

final score 3:1 a.e.t.
often seen ugly ending to an African match: without respect for the game and for the opponent, supporters (or players and officials as seen yesterday) start the fighting immediately when losing, turning either against objects, the police, the referee, or their own players.
Heartbreaking defeat for Algeria who had a great game until overexcitement cost them concentration in injury time and the individual quality of Hadji outplayed tiring defenders.