Candidate for its own succession, Morocco won its second title in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) by defeating Mali (2-0) on Sunday evening at the Yaoundé stadium in the final of the competition.
On Sunday night, Morocco became legendary by becoming the only team to win two consecutive CHAN finals. Opposed to Mali at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé in Cameroon, the Atlas Lions won 2-0 after a closed and disappointing match where both teams played the card of caution.
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Favorite for this meeting, Morocco launched hostilities very early with several strikes not on target. But very quickly, nervousness (or the fear of losing the game) quickly won the foals of Houcine Ammouta as evidenced by several failed reminders, which the Malians did not take advantage of. A scene that will remain so until the break when the two teams returned to the locker room with a goalless draw.
After the locker room, the match increased in intensity with more commitments from both sides. At the hour mark, when the Malians had the opportunity to open the scoring, Koné stumbled on the Moroccan goalkeeper Zniti, thus condemning his team. Because, in the process, Morocco took the advantage to the mark.
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On a wonderful corner from Namsaoui, the central defender Soufiane Bouftini was ahead of Sanogo and placed an unstoppable header to open the scoring (0-1, 69e). An opening scoring which will be followed by another goal a few minutes later, when El Kaabi on a plunging header sealed the victory of his team in this meeting (0-2, 79e). The last offensive actions of the Malian Eagles will have had no impact on the fate of the score which remained unchanged until the final whistle.
Morocco is therefore settling on the roof of Africa for the second time after the 2019 edition where it beat Nigeria in the final. Mali, which lost again after its rout against the DRC in 2016 (beaten 0-3 by the Leopards in the final) took the second round of the podium. Fallers of Cameroon (2-0), the Guineans finished in third place.
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