The Moroccan national team triumphed today over its Burkinabe counterpart with a 1-0 scoreline in a friendly game played at the Bollaert-Delelis Stadium in the French city of Lens.
Less than a minute from the kick-off, Selim Amallah threatened the opponent’s goal by sending a powerful shot, which the Burkinabe goalkeeper managed to save.
In the 36th minute, Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring for Morocco from an assist by Amine Adli, the 23-year old winger who played his first game with the national team.
Five minutes later, the forward Burkinabe player Abdoul Tapsoba was on the verge to tie the scoring, but the ball went above the crossbar, to end the first half with 1-0 in favor of the Atlas Lions.
In the ninth minute of the second half, Abde Ezzalzouli was very close to scoring the second goal for his team from a backline mistake, which could cost the Burkinabe team a lot.
The game thus ended with a 1-0 score for Morocco.
Today’s game was held in memory of those who lost their lives in the September 8 earthquake that ravaged central Morocco.
A few hours prior to the earthquake tragedy, the Atlas Lions had their last training session ahead of the match against Liberia, which was set to take place on September 9 in Agadir.
The earthquake, which was of 6.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, has caused untold material and human loss in central Morocco, leading to the postponement of numerous sporting and cultural events.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) had to cancel the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match between Morocco and Liberia.
Similarly, the second friendly match which was expected to bring together the U-23 Moroccan national team with the Brazilian team has also been postponed to a later date.
In response to the deadly earthquake, there has been an outpouring of support and solidarity both in Morocco and from foreign countries.
The Moroccan national team themselves participated in donating blood to the earthquake victims at the Regional Blood Transfusion Center in Agadir.
Moroccan head coach Walid Regragui told FRMF that this initiative is “crucial” in such situations, inviting all Moroccans to donate blood in support of the victims.
A date is yet to be decided for Morocco’s game against Liberia, while the upcoming match where Morocco will face Eritrea as part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers is scheduled for the coming November.
