Football: Morocco Defeats Egypt, Consolidates World Cup Qualification Odds
Morocco-Egypt, Sports, 7/2/2001

A fairy-tale goal by a flamboyant Hajji was enough for Morocco to defeat Egypt on Saturday in Rabat and increase odds to move for the fifth time to World Cup Finals.

More than 90,000 enthusiastic fans filled the Rabat Stadium since the early morning of that hot summer Saturday to take their Atlas Lions into a historic victory over the Pharaohs of Egypt.

An intensive tension loomed on the North African showdown, exacerbated by the excessive comments of the Egyptian media, which saw in the match an opportunity for Egypt to break, what they call a Moroccan complex, and make a huge stride towards the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup.

The Moroccans started the game cautiously, leaving their challengers to attack and have the clearest scoring chances.

Thirty minutes into the first half, the Moroccans waged a shrewdly organized attack. Hajji breaking an Egyptian attack in the midfield, served Amzine, who sent a curling pass into the Egyptian square, where striker Kamacho prepared the ball for Hajji with a fine header.

Hajji, Africa's player of the year, marvelously finished the attack with a cannon-ball shot that died into the Egyptian net. Nader Assayed, the Pharaohs' keeper, could only follow the ball with his eyes.

The goal triggered the uproar of the 90,000 fans, who chanted the glory of their hero of the day, Mustapha Hajji.

The remaining minutes of the first half were a battle in the midfield, until the 42nd minute, when Kamacho foiled an Egyptian off-side tactic to find himself face-to-face with the Egyptian keeper. The Moroccan striker squandered the chance to suspend his team's joy until the final whistle of the game.

The 45 minutes of the second half seemed to be interminable. Egypt intensified their attacks, but to no avail.

The experience of Morocco' veteran captain, Noureddine Naybet of Spain's Deportivo La Coruna, was a salvation for the team. All Egyptian attacks were shattered by Naybet, who organized the Moroccan defense with a skill worthy of an international star of his caliber.

The referee's final whistle sealed the victory of Morocco, who now need only one point from another decisive match to be played in a fortnight against Senegal in Dakar.

Egypt, for their part, will remember that summer evening with a double bitterness: a disqualification from the race to the 2002 World Cup and a failure to break the curse that befalls them in their showdowns with Morocco.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco plays decisive world cup qualifier against Egypt   (6/30/2001)
  Egyptian MPs Turn into Cheerleaders for Soccer Match Against Morocco   (6/26/2001)
  Football: Egypt spies on Moroccan pros   (5/12/2001)

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