the match facts and reports:
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World Cup 2002
- African qualification - match report
Morocco
- Senegal
Feb 24 1900 GMT
Before the match:
Morocco later the day will
host Senegal. Senegal was tipped a dark horse before the beginning of the
mini league and after a strong appearance at the Nations Cup in which they
surprised as a compact team with clear strategy and good skills. But like
in so many associations things have not run smoothly here as well. The
coach with whom Senegal had emerged from yearlong mediocracy (Georg Schnitger)
is not there anymore and only a few weeks ago it could be read about arguments
over not made payments with its successor (Bruno Metsu).
In the same time Morocco
has gone through troubles themselves but with actual coach Humberto Coelho
(he had been coach for Portugal at Euro 2000) confidence has returned to
the 'Atlas Lions'. After the valuable draw at Cairo they are in the pole
position of the group. But it is a narrow margin and a slip could be costly.
1st half:
- Morocco in green, senegal
in white
--half chances for both
in the opening minutes as a quick game enfolds
- Senegal look confident
for an away team and Morocco determined as expected
- after 10 minutes the
defences seem to have taken control so that the match is still with a good
tempo but rather a midfield affair
- ('23) Senegal are a tough
nut to crack, strong in one against one and attacking Morocco early in
build up: they conquer the ball and run a fast counter attack which ends
with a dangerous 14 meter shot across the bar
- ('24) Hadji free kick
from the right and Camacho (Hadda) flies in and misses the goal only narrowly
- ('39) constant Senegalese
pressing almost pays off when it creates a situation in which eventually
a Morocco defender has to scratch the ball off the line for his beaten
keeper
halftime 0:0
Not a match filling a highlight
ticker with goalscenes but a seizing battle between two equally strong
teams - it is a pity only one can go to the World Cup out of this group.
Senegal revive that impression of an exceptional team which goes far beyond
the sum of the individual skills only
2nd half:
- ('54) a free kick cross
for Senegal - a header and a great save by the Morocco keeper. Only - the
ball seems to have crossed the line - but this was difficult to see for
the referees and so they decide: play on.
- ('65) a fast executed
free kick sees Senegalese attackers outnumber the dMorocco defenders but
the cross comes inaccurate
- ('73) for some moments
the Senegalese defence comes under heavy pressure - a sequence of crosses
- but the scene does not result in a clear goal attempt
- the scene has fired
up the crowd which before had been silenced by the relative dominance of
the Senegalese. And with them the Moroccan game suddenly becomes more dangerous
- the Senegalese become
more nervous under the new pressure and lose balls quickly, playing too
hecticly upfront
- ('80) Morocco opportunity
deflected for a corner which sees a
- ('81) spectacular bycicle
kick by Camacho? from 15 meters, headed off the line by a defender
- ('85) another spectacular
scene this time it his Hadji who juggles the ball and then volleys it towards
the goal - it flies across the bar
- the match has become
dramatic with the mounting Morrocan pressure
- ('injury time) Senegal
survive another scare
- ('injury time) a huge
opportunity but Camachos header goes wide by a meter
final score 0:0
what a difference between
the first 75 minutes and the last quarter - first a relative dominance
by a strong Senegalese team, unlucky that the scene in the 54th minute
was not ruled a goal. Then a furiously attacking Morocco almost forcing
the goal. In the end it continued what in this group seems to become an
epos of draws. And this keeps everything open for everybody. A high quality
match of a standard seldom to be seen during qualifiers.
After the match Senegal
special
If there is any Cinderella
fairytale role in these qualifiers it will belong to Senegal. The team
seems to be a second success story of the French football school: 15 of
18 players of the squad which held Morocco to a draw are professionals
at France and the team is led by French coach Bruno Metsu.
At Rabat on Saturday
night in a match of highest quality level they proved to be a possible
new role model for (West) African football. The players, not the big stars
yet as the likes of Okochas or Kanus, worked hard to deliver a conspiciously
strong team performance, reminding at the Equipe tricolore of France in
a time about 1995/1996.
If they are able to keep
up this attitude and quality the future of this team looks bright. But
the warning is clear: too often it goes downhill fast again in African
football: a missed qualification for both tournaments (Nations and World
Cup) in difficult and tight groups and football automatisms could so quickly
destroy again what has been build up yet.
The biggest problem for
the West Africans at this point is their low goal scoring average in both
campaigns. Another characteristics that resemble that early French team,
which, what many have forgotten, had been massively criticised inside the
country at that early stages. The home matches against Namibia and Algeria
will demand the answer to the question whether Senegal can perform as concentrated
in the role of favorites as they have done in the role of outsiders. |
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