Morocco's chances of qualifying for the African Nations Cup and the 2010 World Cup drooped last weekend. In a crucial match in Lome, Morocco tied 1-1 against Togo, leaving them at the bottom of the group with just three points. Cameroon is third with four points from only three games. Togo is second with five points and the group leader is Gabon with six points from their three matches.The View from Fez Sports Editor reports...
Scorer Adel Taarabt, in a match against Angola
Although Morocco was the stronger team, they failed to take advantage of scoring chances and lacked accuracy. Moustapha Salifou scored a goal for Togo within minutes of the match starting. In the 10th minute, Marouane Chamakh fed the ball to captain Youssouf Hadji, but the latter's weak kick just didn't reach the mark. Midfielder Mbark Boussoufa also missed an opportunity to score after a free kick.
Three players were replaced in the second half by coach Hassan Moumen. Boussoufa was replaced by Adel Taarabt in the 54th minute, who went on to score a stunning equaliser in the 94th minutes.
'We went through tough times', said coach Moumen. 'We were the better team throughout both halves. We managed to score a tying goal in an impressive manner, but we deserved much more.'
One Moroccan fan, Rachid, commented, 'Though the Moroccan squad was unrealistic, I am hoping they will make it to the African Nations Cup - not for the title, but to build a team for the future.'
Morocco lies at 57th place in FIFA rankings. They have two more matches to play; one away against Gabon on 10 October, and one at home against Cameroon on 14 November.
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