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The Black Meteors, Ghana’s U-23 national team, suffered a resounding loss to a formidable Moroccan side in a match that saw the hosts secure a commanding 5-1 victory.
The defeat effectively ended Ghana’s campaign in the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, as Morocco advanced to the semi-finals.After narrowly emerging victorious in their previous match against Congo, the Ghanaian team entered the game with aspirations of continuing their positive momentum.
Unfortunately, they were met with a vastly improved Moroccan team that showcased exceptional abilities and asserted dominance throughout the match. The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium witnessed Morocco’s controlled performance as they comfortably dictated the proceedings on the field.
Morocco wasted no time in demonstrating their superiority, swiftly establishing a commanding 2-0 lead within the opening 10 minutes of the match. Goals from Amir Richardson and Ismael Saibari put the Ghanaian team on the backfoot early on, as the Moroccan players showcased their skill and determination.
The host nation’s exceptional performance continued to impress, and they further extended their advantage to 3-0 in the 30th minute with an impressive goal from Yanis Begraoui.
The goal left the Ghanaian defense perplexed while generating jubilation among the home supporters in the stands.Ghana managed to pull one goal back just before the halftime break, as Salim Adams found the back of the net in the 43rd minute.
This momentary glimmer of hope reignited their aspirations of mounting a comeback. However, their optimism was short-lived when Fatawu Issahaku’s sensational strike resulted in a disallowed goal.
The referee ruled that the ball had gone out of play in the build-up, thereby denying Ghana the opportunity to further narrow the deficit before halftime.
The controversial disallowed goal had a visible demoralizing effect on the Ghanaian team, and their morale continued to plummet as Morocco quickly capitalized on their advantage in the early stages of the second half.
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Captain Abde and Begraoui each contributed with goals, extending Morocco’s lead to a commanding 5-1. In the closing moments of the match, Morocco believed they had added a sixth goal during added time, but once again, it was disallowed.
Despite the overwhelming scoreline, Ghana showed resilience and mounted some promising offensive plays. They managed to test the Moroccan goalkeeper, Alaa Bellaarouch, who was forced to make several saves to deny Ghana any further goals.
These offensive efforts demonstrated Ghana’s determination to salvage some pride from the match, even in the face of a significant deficit.