Before: This
match has widely been seen as predeciding for who will advance to the quarter
finals at the side of South Africa, but after a 0:0 draw between South
Africa and Burkina Faso the groups seems more open than ever.
It will be important to
find the form right away in this first match and the young Ghanaian team
might be capable to show that Ghana football is better than recently perceived.
They will have to overcome a goal scoring problem (at the Nations Cup tournaments:
1994-2000 16 goals in 17 matches, a goal average of below 1, no match with
more than 2 goals since 1982).
Compared to 2000 Morocco
have brought youth into their squad but the Hadji refusal seems to indicate
they will have to overcome some problems between foreign based and home
based players to find a team spirit.
A very interesting match
of uncertainties.
Morocco > read
more
Ghana > read
more
analysis of the age structure
of the teams > click
here
The match: Morocco
are reported as the little better team in a match of few but great goal
scenes. Both keepers had a spectacular save and Morocco the chance to decide
the match in the second half when a counter opportunity set up a two against
one situation which the Moroccans did not play out well.
One day after the match
the former Ghana captain Sammy Kuffour was sent home for too much interference
with the team management.
match data as published
by CAF Online:
Referee: Domenico Messina
(ITA)
Ass. Referees: Vincent
Texier (FRA), Taoufik Adjengui (TUN)
Attendance: 5 000
Teams:
Ghana: 12-Sammy Adjei,
4-Samuel Osei Kuffour, 5-John Mensah, 6-Yaw Amankwah Mireku, 15-Princeton
Owusu-Ansah (14-George Blay, 51), 19-Kofi Amponsah, 8-Michael Essien, 16-Emmanuel
Duah, 20-Ibrahim Abdul Razak, 13-Isaac Boakye (7-Matthew Amoah, 55), 17-Baffour
Gyan (Alex Tachie-Mensah, 71).
Morocco: 22-Driss Benzerki,
3-Akram Roumani, 5-Abdelilah Fahmi, 6-Noureddine Naybet, 17-Gharib Amzine,
18-Youssef Chippo, 10-Adil Ramzi, 15-Youssef Safri, 9-Abdeljilal Hadda
(8-Fouzi El Brazi, 88), 11-Hichem Zerouali (7-Rabii Lafoui, 79), 14-Bassir
Salaheddine (20-Rachid Rokki, 59).
Cautions:
Ghana: 17- Guan Baffour
(38)
Morocco: 17- Amzine Gharib
(70), 6- N. Naybet (85) |
