Guinea stuns Morocco

Guinea defeated Morocco 3-2 in the second “Group A” game played at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra on Thursday. It was a win that provided the West Africans an opportunity to make a case for themselves in the competition, having lost the first game to hosts, Ghana last Sunday. The result thwarted the attempt of the Moroccans to seal qualification to the next stage of the competition having recorded a huge score line against Namibia in their first match decided on Monday. Led by inspirational skipper and play maker Pascal Feindounou, the Guineans gave their opponents no breathing space and succeeded in reducing the North Africans to an ordinary side. The Guineans had a greater portion of the exchanges and managed to register the first goal in the 10th minute of the game through a spectacular free-kick delivered by Feidounou. The ball zoomed straight into the net with keeper Fouhami Khalid having no answer to it. The Moroccans struggled unsuccessfully to get back into the game near the end of the half and this set up an uncompromising second half. Feindounou, a constant threat to the Moroccans set up Ishmael Bangoura to blast home a left footed shot for the second goal for Guinea in the 57th minute. There was a rapid response from the Moroccans, who pulled one back through substitute Abdoucheroune Hicham, whose volley beat keeper Kemoko Camara to reduce the tally in the 59th minute. The Guineans put the game beyond the reach of the Moroccans two minute later through a penalty converted by Feindonou. And that was the last positive contribution of the Skipper as he was ejected soon after for an un-gentlemanly behaviour. The Moroccans took advantage of the numerical disadvantage of the Guineans and pinned them to their own half in search of redemption. The last 28 minutes of the game was an all Moroccan affair as they launched incessant attacks on the Guineans. Ouaddou Abdesallem headed home a cross from Hicham to narrow the gap and ginger the Moroccans into more attacking options, looking for the leveller which, however, eluded them till the end of the match Bangoura was voted Player of the Match, with Yossef Hadji Morocco taking home the Fair Play Award.