The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
THURS: Uganda vs Namibia 10.30pm | WED: Morocco 3 Guinea 1 & Sudan 1 Mauritania 0
Casablanca, Morocco | AFP | Ayoub el Kaabi was the hat-trick star as hosts Morocco reached the African Nations Championship quarter-finals by defeating Guinea 3-1 in Casablanca on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old is the leading scorer with five goals in the biennial tournament for home-based footballers after bagging a brace in a 4-0 rout of Mauritania last weekend.
His Group A treble against the Guineans was only the third in 121 Championship matches, matching the feats of Zambian Given Singuluma and Nigeria Chisom Chikatara.
El Kaabi needs one more goal to become the highest scorer in one edition of the competition — a record he currently shares with 2009 Nations Championship sharpshooter Singuluma.
He has emerged as a surprise star with much of the pre-tournament attention on another Moroccan striker, Achraf Bencharki from 2017 African club champions Wydad Casablanca.
But coach Jamal Sellami has opted to start with El Kaabi, introducing Bencharki as an impact player during the second half against Mauritania and Guinea.
Adding to the joy of El Kaabi was the presence in a packed 65,000-seat Stade Mohamed V of Morocco World Cup coach Herve Renard.
The Frenchman was studying the best Moroccan local talent as he prepares the “Atlas Lions” to face Iran, Portugal and Spain in Russia during June.
El Kaabi scored on 27 minutes and after Saidouba Bissiri Camara levelled within a minute, struck twice in four minutes during the second half for an ultimately comfortable win.
Sudan joined Morocco in the knockout stage after defeating Mauritania 1-0 in the second match of a double-header with 18-year-old Walaa Eldin Musa scoring on 30 minutes.
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Cranes midfieler Juma Ibrahim Sadam has said Uganda Cranes will have a different approach in their second CHAN match on Thursday, even if they will play without injured Shaban Mohammed.
“We are very positive. We have seen our mistakes from the Zambia game and we are looking forward to improving on that performance against Namibia,” Sadam said in a pre-match press conference.
“The loss to Zambia has been put behind us and the coach has instilled a lot of confidence in us. The morale is high and we are looking forward to the game against Namibia.”
New head coach Sebastien Desabre was also optimistic. “We have analysed our performance from the first game and tried to correct the mistakes because it is important for the second game.”
He added that, “we have a project and my philosophy will be same for the second match against Namibia. We have a balanced team and have to stay with the same mind set and spirit to win the next game. We have no choice and we have to win with an offensive strategy. It is very important for us to score because my team needs that.”
Zambia will play Ivory Coast in the earlier match at 7.30pm.
Standings Group B
Zambia 1 1 0 0 3 1 3
Namibia 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
I. Coast 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
Uganda 1 0 0 1 1 3 0
