WAFCON: Morocco battle past Mali to keep home dream alive

The WAFCON hosts progressed to the final four with a 3-1 win in Rabat

At least 21,000 people flocked to the west of Rabat on a Friday night to watch Morocco take on Mali in the second Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-final.

A naturally-partisan capacity crowd created an electric atmosphere in the build-up to kick-off, and the spark was further ignited early on as the hosts opened the scoring within seven minutes. Captain and star midfielder Ghizlane Chebbak fed Sakina Ouzraoui with a perfect through ball, which the right winger unselfishly squared to striker Ibtissam Jraïdi for an open-net tap-in.

To their credit, Mali only took that as an invitation to push harder and soon upped their intensity. Morocco looked to capitalise on some potential over-eagerness by threatening in transition, but the visitors adjusted their press before long to become more balanced. The minuscule section of away fans started to celebrate after the half-hour mark when Aicha Samaké’s free kick bounced past a couple of diving attackers and crept in at the far post, but their joy was quickly cut short by an offside flag for interference.

Morocco made a couple of changes after the half-time break in a bid to establish more control in a match that had been getting a little bit out of hand for them as the first period wore on. They did precisely that, almost totally limiting Mali’s attacking threat while creating an odd opening for themselves from time to time.

Having taken much of the sting out of the contest, the Atlas Lionesses also caused the atmosphere to die down a touch as the game grew quiet. The main fear around the stadium then would have been a cheap concession from a lapse of concentration, but Morocco were too sharp to let that happen. Instead, half-time substitute Sanaâ Mssoudy drove into the box and won a penalty by having her legs clipped as she looked to chop back late on. Jraïdi emphatically converted to double her side’s advantage.

Mali naturally started to push with all they had thereafter, but Morocco dropped back and let nothing get through their rear guard. In the end, they added a third as Fatoumata Karentao spilt what looked to be an attempted cross from substitute Kenza Chapelle into the net. With that, the final result was put well beyond doubt, so Mali’s stoppage-time penalty proved to be mere consolation.

What defined Morocco’s match?

Adaptability.

The Atlas Lionesses really strengthened their credentials as one of the title favourites by showcasing an ability to compete in any kind of match situation.

They started the game off with some slick possession play, not only for the opener but also to beat Mali’s heightened press thereafter. Their midfield trio was excellent on the ball as they kept it moving with great control and accuracy under pressure. Their defenders were also composed, while the forwards supported the effort well with clever off-ball runs.

Morocco did look a little physically outmatched in certain spells initially, but they did very well to rise to the challenge and looked very much on par with their opponents later in the first half. Everyone from the forwards to the defenders contributed to a successful defensive effort, giving their all in every duel both to protect their goal and to get forward.

Even so, the full-blooded challenges made the game a slightly chaotic affair at times, so the hosts made a couple of half-time tweaks in the shape of substitutions as well as tactical changes to quieten things down and establish greater control. They did precisely that while critically also maintaining some consistent attacking threat, which eventually led to them cushioning their advantage. While they were careful to avoid sinking back too far, their deep defending was also near-spotless in the second half.

Morocco will surely have to face even tougher opposition if they are to realise their dreams of lifting the title on home soil, but they can take a lot of encouragement from this performance against a Mali side that gave them a tough test.

What defined Mali’s match?

Intensity.

Right from the off, there were no half-measures about anything Mali did. They did have a couple of lapses that led to the early concession, but they deserve a lot of credit for quickly pulling themselves together and putting up a serious fight.

Les Aiglonnes looked to be winning more duels in the opening exchanges and also caused problems with their speed in transition, particularly through left winger Aïssata Traoré’s ball-carrying. After going behind, they upped the intensity of both their press and counter-press. They soon had to tone things down a little to avoid giving up more chances in transition, but struck a good balance later in the half.

Ultimately, they will be disappointed for not making the most out of the promising situations they found themselves in, as well as failing to sustain their intensity through the second half. After allowing Morocco to dictate proceedings to their liking, the way back for Mali was always going to be extremely difficult.

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Ghizlane Chebbak’s name was not on the scoresheet in this game, but that did not mean Morocco’s captain had a quiet evening. She strung her side’s attacks together beautifully, especially early on when an open game allowed her to play her trademark through balls on the half-turn. Indeed, it was her pass that really created the opener, though the assist will not be credited to her.

The 34-year-old attacking midfielder did not have as big of a role to play as the game grew quieter, but she will surely need to produce more brilliance to help push her side all the way in the tournament.

What next?

Morocco will be back at the Rabat Olympic Stadium on Tuesday to take on the winner of Algeria-Ghana. Mali, meanwhile, should hold their heads high on their way home as they reached the WAFCON knockouts for just the second time in eight attempts, and they will soon have to turn their attention to the next edition of the tournament as their second-round qualifier legs against Cape Verde are scheduled in October.