Algeria Football– Morocco made its mark by inflicting a heavy 5-1 defeat on Gabon, this Friday in Franceville, during the penultimate day of the CAN 2025 qualifiers. Despite a difficult start to the match and a Gabonese opening score, the Atlas Lions turned the situation around with a brilliant performance, notably thanks to a double from Brahim Diaz.
Gabon started strong, taking advantage of a hazardous tactical system from Walid Regragui, which left Sofyan Amrabat alone in front of the defense. Denis Bouanga opened the scoring in the 4th minute with a splendid strike, cementing the Panthers' initial domination (1-0). The Gabonese looked to widen the gap a few moments later through Aubameyang, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Faced with this storm, Regragui quickly readjusted by repositioning Azzedine Ounahi lower. This adaptation restored solidity to the Atlas Lions, who reversed the trend. Jamal Harkass equalized with an unstoppable header from a perfect free kick from Achraf Hakimi (1-1, 20th). In the process, Brahim Diaz distinguished himself by recovering a deflected ball from a corner to give Morocco the advantage (1-2, 23rd).
Morocco took full advantage of Gabonese defensive weaknesses on set pieces, and Diaz scored twice in the 28th minute, again from a corner (1-3). Despite some Gabonese flashes, the Atlas Lions remained dominant, leaving few opportunities to their opponents.
The second period saw the Moroccans maintain their hold. Ismael Saibari, who entered the game, particularly shone. He first served Youssef En-Nesyri for the fourth Moroccan goal (1-4, 81st), before concluding the festival himself with an exceptional strike into the top corner (1-5, 90th).
With this resounding success, Morocco continues its perfect course and sends a clear warning to all its rivals. As host country of CAN 2025, Morocco positions itself as a serious contender for the continental coronation. This message is directly addressed to the other favorites, including Algeria, which also dreams of shining on Moroccan soil.
Morocco will face Lesotho on Monday to close these qualifiers, while Gabon will play against the Central African Republic. One thing is certain: the Atlas Lions will be fully expected in January 2025, but they will have already proven that they will be difficult to stop.
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