Regardless of being the hosts of this 12 months’s Africa Cup of Nations, The Atlas Lions of Morocco enter their semi-final in opposition to Nigeria with numerous trepidation fueled by reminiscences of 4 earlier defeats at this stage of the competitors.
Sports247 gathered that a kind of defeats got here after they beforehand hosted the competitors in 1988, which makes Wednesday’s fixture scary from the perspective that historical past may repeat itself.
Dramatically, the primary semi-final defeat for Morocco was in opposition to Nigeria through the 1980 version that was performed in Lagos, which occurs to be one in all two victories the Tremendous Eagles have over them on dwelling soil.
The one time Morocco received an AFCON semi-final was at Tunisia 2004, however they then went on to lose the ultimate to the host nation, which isn’t such a comforting reminiscence for them forward of Wednesday’ match versus Nigeria.
Though they maintain higher head-to-head AFCON statistics above Nigeria, having received three of their earlier 5 conferences within the competitors’s historical past, the Tremendous Eagles have received an important clashes between them.
A preview by Tribal Soccer provides, “(Morocco have) featured in 4 earlier semi-final matches on the continental championship.
“(They) emerged victorious simply as soon as, which got here 22 years in the past in Tunisia, the place they later misplaced 2-1 within the remaining.
“On that event, they defeated Mali 4-0 within the semi-final, in probably the most one-sided last-four clashes the competitors has seen.
“Earlier than that, there have been three semi-final defeats. They misplaced 1-0 to hosts and eventual champions Nigeria in 1980, and 1-0 to hosts and champions Egypt in 1986.
“They have been edged 1-0 by Cameroon on dwelling soil in 1988, with the Indomitable Lions additionally happening to carry the trophy, which means all three of Morocco’s semi-final defeats got here in opposition to eventual champions.”
Different statistics supplied by Tribal Soccer forward of Wednesday’s historic conflict in Rabat are:
*Morocco and Nigeria meet on the Cup of Nations for the sixth time, with all 5 earlier AFCON conferences producing a winner. It is going to be their first conflict since 2004.
*They first met in 1976 in each the group stage and the second pool section, with Morocco successful each matches (3-1 and 2-1) on their option to lifting the title.
*Nigeria received their solely different semi-final assembly in 1980, triumphing 1-0 with Felix Owolabi scoring the winner within the ninth minute.
*They met once more in 2000, when Nigeria eradicated Morocco of their remaining Group D match with a 2-0 victory, Finidi George and Julius Aghahowa scoring for the Tremendous Eagles.
*Their final Cup of Nations assembly got here within the group stage in 2004, when Morocco claimed a 1-0 win within the opening match, Youssouf Hadji scoring the one aim within the 77th minute.
*Brahim Díaz, who has scored in 5 successive matches, is the primary Moroccan to attain that feat at AFCON. He’s now one aim shy of Ahmed Faras’ all-time Cup of Nations scoring document for Morocco.
*Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has turn into the primary Moroccan goalkeeper to maintain 4 clear sheets at a Cup of Nations, additionally a workforce document for a single competitors.
*Morocco have scored 5 set-piece targets on the 2025 event, greater than every other workforce, one thing Nigeria will must be cautious of.
