Full-time: Morocco 1-0 Ivory Coast
That was a terrific performance by Morocco, perhaps the best in the tournament so far. They take three points thanks to a wonderful goal - created by Amrabat, scored by En-Nesyri - and they could have had a few more. Their passing and movement were lovely, especially on the counter-attack. Ivory Coast weren’t awful but were inferior: but they will progress to the knockout stages if they beat Namibia in their last group game, while Morocco are already there so can face South Africa without stress.
Morocco substitution: Da Costa on, Boussoufa off.
90+3 min: Morocco launch another super counter-attack. Hakimi leads it, then slips the ball wide to Boussoufa, who picks out Mazraoui running in from the right. But the Mazraoui volleys against the crossbar from 10 yards! What a lovely goal that would have been!
90+2 min: There will be at least another two minutes. Can Ivory Coast come up with something special?
89 min: The freekick from 40 yards finds it was to Traoré at the far side of the Moroccan box. With his back to goal he takes a touch to tee himself up and then performs an overhead kick. It’s on target but the keeper saves without bother.
88 min: Belhanda nips the ball wide to Mazraoui. He’s dispossessed by Wonlo. Ivory Coast get a counter-attacj going, until Belhanda sabotages it by pulling back Bony.
86 min: En-Nesryi has led the line superbly today. He jumps now between two defenders to flick on a long ball towards Boufal, who’s offside.
84 min: A bit of sloppiness creeping into Morocco’s play as they try to see this out. Belhanda gives the ball away in midfield and is fortunate not to be punished, as the ensuing move leads to a Bony heading just wide from 10 yards.
Morocco substitution: Mazraoui on, Amrabat off after a top performance.
82 min: Bony rises high to flick on a header at the near post. Pépé tries to turn it in at the back but, despite stretching, can’t reach it. Meanwhile, Amrabat is down again, this time complaining off a sore foot.
80 min: Pépé, who’s been quiet, curls over a freekick from the left. It pinballs around the Moroccan box before they manage to boot it clear.
78 min: A break in play as Amrabat demands treatment for a perceived elbow to his head. That’s his imagination playing tricks on him...
76 min: Bony concedes a freekick after controlling the ball not with his chest but his arm. That may well be his first touch. The Elephants don’t appear to have much of a clue as to how to get back into this game. It’s beginning to take on the air of a 1-0 pummelling...
Morocco substitution: Boufal on, Ziyech off. The Ajax player looks miffed to be coming off but he was not at his best today, though he did playa couple of slinky passes.
74 min: Amrabat, another top performer today, clips a decent cross into the box. En-Nesyri beats the defender to it but flashes his header wide of the far post from eight yards.
73 min: Gnoghouo has played the sweeper-keeper role very well today. He has again hurtled off his line just now to tidy up, beating En-Nesyri to the ball by a whisker.
71 min: Looks like Amrabat was looped into those clips of Wayne Rooney from midweek. He tries to lob the keeper from inside his own half. It flies over the keeper, all right, but about 10 yards over the bar, too.
Ivory Coast substitution: Bagayoko on, Aurier off. So there’ll be no action for Zaha today. Might aswell take out his phone an check for incoming messages from Arsenal ...
67 min: Hakimi sprints into the box and takes a tumble as Traore challenges. But there was no contact and the ref is right to wave play on. El Ahmadi gets a yellow for protesting.
66 min: With Ivory Coast momentarily down to 10 men, Morocco try to tae advantage. They string together another flowing move from left to right. It concludes with Dirar fizzing a low cross into the middle. En-Nesyri meets with a dainty flick at the edge of the six-yard box. Fine save by the keeper!
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64 min: A blow for the Elephants as Aurier, who’s had a good game so far, pulls up lame. Or rather, he falls to the ground in pain, seemingly having pulled a muscle. It doesn’t look like he can continue.
Ivory Coast substitution: Bony on, Séri off. Poor Wilf Zaha, still sitting on the bench while Wilf Bony is given a game ahead of him. It’s for tactical reasons, in fairness, as Kamara obviously figures that two outright strikers are what is required here.
62 min: A flowing Moroccan move: Ziyech to Boussoufa to Hakimi to ... no one! The final ball goes astray after the Atlas Lions swept 30 yards forward and into the box.
61 min: Ziyech has a blem from 22 yards. The ball wobbles over the bar.
60 min: Ziyech pings in a freekick from the right. En-Nesyri gets his head to it from six yards out ... but steers it over the bar!
57 min: Wonlo, angry at not being given a freekick after being shoved in the back in an aerial challenge, flies into a tackle on Boussoufa, taking man and ball. Textbook route to a yellow card.
55 min: Amrabat tackles back down the right to dispossess Wonlo. Ziyech then tries to trigger a counter-attack with a smart crossfield pass. But Aurier puts an end to that.
Ivory Coast substitution: Cornet on, Gradel off. Still no Zaha ...
52 min: Saiss finds Amrabat with a raking long pass from the back. Aurier dispossess him with an impeccable sliding tackle.
50 min: Ivory Coast have yet to get going in this half. Morocco are in charge.
48 min: Hakimi flies down the left again, then cuts back into the box and lets fly. Aurier blocks his shot, conceding a corner.
47 min: Eager to pick up where they left off, Morocco make a bright start to this half, probing down the right and then, via a crossfield pass by Benatia, down the left. Hakimi’s cross is hoofed to safety.
46 min: Let’s have some more, shall we? No subs during the break and let’s hope there’s no changes to the team’s attacking approaches, either.
“The Ivorian keeper keeps on attempting to locate his forwards with passes but missing them,” reckons. Felix Wood. “I guess Bono still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.” Oh, Felix, where’s your pride (in the name of love)? More to the point, where’s Wilf? If the score stays the same, you’ve got to think Zaha will be sprung from the bench.
Half-time: Morocco 1-0 Ivory Coast
That was an exhilarating half and Morocco fully deserve their lead. And what a daisy of a goal it was, too. Some of their passing and movement has been delightful. But the Elephants have had their moments, too, and there’s every chance there’ll be more goals in this. The winners, remember, will book a place in the last 16.
45 min: Kodjia gets a lecture and stern finger-wagging from the referee after giving Saïss’ shirt a sneaky tug before throwing himself to the ground.
44 min: A much better delivery by Ziyech, depositing the ball at the edge of the six-yard box from a freekick. Traoré does very well to hook it away.
43 min: Ziyech sends a corner out for a throw-in on the far side. His deliveries have left a lot to be desired so far. But his play in the open has been dandy.
42 min: Moments after Serey Die tests the keeper with a fine shot from distance, Seri tries something similar. This, too, is well hit, but it whizzes past the upright.
40 min: What a counter-attack! Hakimi raged out of his defence, driving 50 yards forward and then threading a pass through to Amrabat, who duped the defence with a gorgeous dummy, letting the ball roll into the path of En-Nesyri, who ignores an attempted tackle and tries to guide the ball into the far corner from 16 yards. Good save by Gbohouo!
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38 min: Aurier romps down the right, then chops back on to his left foot and sends over a cross ... that drifts a yard over the bar.
36 min: Benatia heads away a freekick at the expense of a corner. The delivery is poxy.
34 min: Morocco have really found a nice rhythm. Their passing and movement is seriously stretching the Ivorians.
32 min: Amrabat makes a canny run into space on the right and is picked out by Dirar. He then sends over an inviting cross, which two attackers and two defenders try to meet, but everyone misses!
29 min: Ziyech whips in a dangerous freekick from the lefet. Wonlo does well to clear before En-Nesyri can connect.
27 min: This is shaping up to the be game of the tournament so far. It’s high-intensity fare with quality to match, and a brilliant goal already in the bag.
24 min: Bono hurtles out to the edge of his box and dives at the feet of Gradel, pushing the ball away from the striker ... but straight to Pépé! The forward tries it on the run past the two covering defenders and into the net, but he misses the target by a yard. So close to an instant equaliser! Told you this was fun.
23 min: Mali scored a couple of foxy blasters the other da, but En-Nesyri has jsut scord the goal of the tournament so far, I reckon.
GOAL! Morocco 1-0 Ivory Coast (En-Nesyri 23)
That’s a brilliant goal! Amrabat created it with a jinking run past three players and a marvellously cute ball through to En-Nesyri, who rewarded it with an immaculate finish, slamming low past the keeper from 12 yards!
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21 min: There’s a bracing pace to this contest and plenty of attacking intent. It’s fun.
19 min: Lovely play by Morocco! Belhanda slipped a sweet pass through to Dirar, flying down the right. The full-back fires in a useful cross, which En-Nesyri met at the near post with a first-time shot. From a difficult angle it flies into the sidenetting.
19 min: Another testing delivery from Pépé, this time from a corner. Benatia is equal to it, heading away under pressure.
17 min: Kodjia dribbles past Saïss and into the box before Hakimi intervenes to concede a corner. Pepé clears.
15 min: Pepé delivers a dangerous cross from the left, but no one manages to get on the end of it.
14 min: Ziyech tries to dupe the keeper by going straight for goal from the freekick out wide. But Gbohouo didn’t look surprised as he watched the ball sail high over his bar.
13 min: That’s not so hot from Aurier: pushing Amrabat in the back gives away a needless freekick just to the right of the Ivorian box...
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12 min: While Aurier has impressed on the right, Pepe has yet to have any impact. His first real involvement was a flop, as he failed to control a crossfield pass.
11 min: En-Nesyri races forward to try to get on the end of an astute through-ball, but Gbouhouo read it well and charges out off his box to welly clear.
9 min: Aurier has made an impressive start. He’s snuffed out several Moroccan attacks and launched a couple of good Ivorian ones.
8 min: Slick interplay by Morocco down the left. Hakimi tries to dodge his way into the box but Aurier keeps his eye on the ball and prods it out for a corner.
6 min: Traoré does well to clear a cross by Ziyech as Morocco apply serious pressure.
4 min: Gboubouo comes to meet a corner. Under no pressure he could catch it but decides against and punches it over the bar instead for another one. Stick it on him, would be my advice. Instead it’s sent towards Benatia near the penalty spot and he can’t direct his header on target. “Is that really Bono playing as goalkeeper for Morocco?” blurts Sam Willingham. “I assume he’s wearing number One?” Yes, he is, actually. But it’s not the Bono you’re thinking of: when it comes to goalkeeping this guy has his limitations but is still even better than the real thing.
2 min: What a start! Aurier roars down the right and flashes a lovely cross to the far post. Kodjia arrives at speed to send a downward header bouncing towards the net from six yards. But Saiss gets back to make a superb clearance of the line!
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1 min: We have kickoff! Morocco do the honours.
Behold the teams! The Elephants are in their all-white away kit, allowing Morocco sport their usual red-jersey and green-short ensemble.
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Any Arsenal fans wanting to remind themselves of what Wilf Zaha can do will have to hope that Morocco take the lead so that Ivory Coast have to throw on an attacker. And perhaps they would be happy if the Moroccan goal came from Youssef En-Neysri, the Leganes striker who has also been linked with a move to Arsenal (and who didn’t do much against Namibia in the first match).
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Eric Bailly, since you ask, did not start in 2017 and injury precludes him from taking part in this tournament. But he has turned up at the stadium to support his teammates.
Nine of the players who start for Morocco today also started when they beat Ivory Coast 2-0 in Abidjan in 2017 to qualify for the World Cup. Only four of the Ivorians feature today (Zaha started last time, in case you’re wondering), but that includes the goalkeeper and two of the defenders (Aurier and Kanon) who were somehow unable to prevent these two goals:
Teams
Morocco: Bono; Dirar, Benatia, Saïss, Hakimi; Boussoufa, El Ahmadi; Amrabat, Ziyech, Belhanda; En-Nesyri
Subs: Mazraoui, Bennasser, Fajr, Da Costa, Boufal, Idrissi, Boujab, EL Kajoui, Abdelhamid, Bourabia
Ivory Coast: Gbohouo; Aurier, Traoré, Kanon, Wonlo; Serey Die, Kessie; Pépé, Seri, Gradel; Kodjia
Subs: Ira, Doumbia, Zaha, Assalé Cornet, Bony, I Sangaré, Bagayoko, B Sangaré
Referee: A Néant (Cameroon)
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to another heavyweight duel in an Africa Cup of Nations that looks wide open. Yesterday’s Senegal-Algeria served as a warning against overhyping matches, but there can be no denying that this one has the potential to be a doozy. It’s Morocco against Ivory Coast, for goodness sake! And Hervé Renard, aiming for a third triumph with a third country, against his former sidekick Ibrahim Kamara, striving to lead the Elephants to where Renard previously took a far stronger herd.
Neither side looked like future champions in their openings games at this tournament but both made off with 1-0 wins and have lots of room to improve. Winning today would guarantee a place in the knockout stages. On paper you’d have to make Morocco slight favourites – in Hakim Ziyech and Younès Belhanda they have two ingenious creators – but they have an ageing defence and have not been on song lately, having spluttered through the qualifying stages (drawing with Comoros and Malawi is not a portent of imminent greatness), lost all of their warm-up games and needed a last-minute own goal to creep past Namibia in their first match. And, of course, they have a recent history of underperforming at this tournament, having somehow failed to make it out of the group stages since 2004. Renard was brought in to address that failing, so let’s see how he goes about it here.
The Elephants have not exactly wowed onlookers on their way here either. They finished second in their qualifying group below Guinea and laboured to beat South Africa in their first match here. But there are hints that they might be emerging from what we may call a transitional period, and they have attackers who can do serious damage, most thrillingly Nicolas Pépé, who has been linked this summer with a move to every big club with a half-decent scouting system, and also to Manchester United (honk!). Maybe even Wilfried Zaha will get a run out today. We await the team news with interest. Until then, let’s look on the bright side and say we have a barnstormer in store. It’s on!
