AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 1998 - match discriptions (impressions) GROUP D

Group D  Zambia  Morocco  Egypt  Mozambique

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match 1
 

Feb 9th  Zambia vs. Morocco, kickoff was scheduled 18:00 GMT (19:00 MEZ, 13:00 EST) but there is a delay  1st half action:  -Zambia in Reebok, Morocco in Puma  -both teams look quite solid and difficult to beat  -Zambia offence relies on individual actions, usually by their star Kalusha Bwalya, who causes the only big opportunity  -Morocco has four opportunities, 2 by headers, one when Zambian defence looked disorganized. Involved in dangerous actions: Hadji  -Morocco loses strong player #14 Bassir to injury  -Morocco scores 1-0 when Zambia maybe confused on injured player. Superb goal by #13 Bahja, who is the dangerous left wing attacker already known from USA 94  -2 more great opportunities late in the half. It should have been 2:0 but #19 hit only the goal post.  HALFTIME: 0-1  2nd half action:  -Zambia attacks very strong in the first 15 minutes with much pressure  -some opportunities. The best: Kalusha Bwalya hits the crossbar with a free-kick  -Morocco solid, defensive with some dangerous counter-attacks  -It is looking more and more as if Zambia won't get much opportunities anymore but in the closing minutes #2 Cholumba scores from 16m after when again Kalusha Bwalya confused the Morrocain defenders 1-1  -In the final seconds both go for three but it stays 1-1  FINAL RESULT 1-1

 
 
 

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Febr 10th  Egypt vs. Mozambique, kickoff 18:00 GMT (19:00 MEZ, 13:00 EST)  1st half action:  -first 30 minutes quiet in front of the goals with one exception:  -a moment of confusion after about 15 minutes is converted into a goal by Egypt in a very elegant manor, scorer #9 Hossam - 1:0  -a lot of space in midfield but at 16m defenders rule, tempo not high, the match is played fair for which it has too many yellow cards by a very accurate referee,  -after 30 Minutes #17 (Egypt) misses close, the following corner sees confusion in Moz. defence  -a failed offside trap leaves two Egypt attackers against the goalkeeper but they blow the opportunity  -short before 45 are played an uxpected 30m hammer by Mozambique almost punishes Egypt when it hits the crossbar  -the Egyptian answer is cruel. #9 is profiting again from a bad decision of the Moz goalkeeper heading it in - 2:0  -2 dangerous free kicks on both sides and a more offensive Mozambique attitude conclude the half  HALF TIME: 2:0  2nd half action:  -Egypt begins attacking with 2 opportunities the first 10 minutes  -nothing happens apart from a very small Mozambique opportunity  -defensive error by Egypt leaves two Mozambique attackers against the goal-keeper but #10 Chiqu.Conde does not latheral the ball and loses it to the ballkeeper  -this missed opportunity boosts for a moment the Mozambique game against an Egyptian team that for some minutes plays worse and worse  -but Mozambique never comes close to coming close and Egypt reestablishes its game  -Mozambique defenders never close the gap and never seem to play all or nothing  -Mozambique seems to be a team far from desaster but on the other side far from being able to accomplish a miracle  -so it stays...  FINAL RESULT: 2:0

 
 

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Febr 13th  Zambia-Egypt kickoff 17:00 GMT (18:00 MEZ, 12:00 EST)  situation BEFORE the match: IF Egypt wins they will be qualified for the quarterfinals  1st half action:  -after a sleepy start by Zambia and a qucik surprise attempt by Egypt Zambia starts to dominate the match  -Kalusha Bwalya releases a flamboyant show, everywhere on the field, tricky free kicks, clever throw ins, solo runs with opportunity opening passes, and dangerous corners:  -('11)first of the two best scenes for Zambia, when Kalusha survives a wrangle with a defender on his feet but his shot is saved  -('23)Kalusha plays the corner short to the right corner of the penalty area but the #20 Mordon Malitoli shot hits the goal post from outside  -despite Zambian dominance Egypt is still in the match:  -a solo run by #3 Mohamed Oamar('24)  is one of the counter attack attempts that lead to the following free kick in the 37th minute:  -#9 Hossam Hassan watches the goalkeeper concentrating and meets the perfect moment to release a shot into the keepers corner. Great goal from 18 meters -  0:1  -Zambia attacking with of course #11 Kalusha Bwalya but also with very offensive and risky play by defenders. One loses ball and this almost results in a four man against the goalkeeper situation for Egypt. But the pass was played a moment late - offside ('39)  -We all know Zambia as the team of the second half in important games. Sometimes it works (against Morocco or against Egypt in the quarter finals of last Nations Cup when Egypt lead 1:0 also but Zambia played a fantastic second half to make it 3:1), sometimes it doesn't work lika against Tunisia in the semi-finals of last Nations Cup. But Kalusha Bwalya did not take breaks this time in the first half and it will depend on his fitness whether ZAmbia will be able to turn it around  HALFTIME - 0:1  2nd half action:  -sleepy begin again by Zambia and two almost opportunities for Egypt  -yet Zambians are dominant in man against man individual duels but they lack concentration especially in positioning in defense. So...  -#10 Abdelsatar Sabry and #9 Hossam Hassan outplay four players by combinating in the penalty area and #9 scores - 0:2 ('57)  -Zambia now hurries and puts some pressure on Egypt who threaten with dangerous counter attacks. But the Zambian game lacks cooperation and combination so that a concentrated Egyptian defense resists easily.  -('73)It is #3 Mohamed Oamar to #10 Sabry back to #3 Oamar, then top #9 Hossam Hassan and what he will do, try to guess it. It is all in the penalty area and it is against four defenders who do not even touch the ball - 0:3  -some mini-opportunities for Zambia follow, Kalusha is still trying but not as effective as in first half  -another horrible defense formation spied out perfectly by two Egyptian players, a long ball to  #8 Yasser Radwan who lops it in- 0:4   <-Zambian defenders play offside but forget player deep   -two Egyptian players receive stupid yellow cards in the same minute for arguing with the Danish referee because of the distance of defenders when intending to play a corner ('85)  -Egyptian #9, left alone again, almost makes it a fifth with his head but misses wide the huge opportunity  -Zambia lacks of players with the same quality as Kalusha Bwalya and lacks of cooperative play both in defense as in offense and must wait for a miracle to save them. They are almost out. Egypt advances to the quarterfinals but the success should not be overrated. Egypt often highscores when the match is running smooth for them. But maybe Group C, from which the quarterfinal opponent will recruit, offers some equal naiv defenses for them. Hossam Hassan is top scorer of the tournament after two matches with 5 goals.  FINAL RESULT 0:4, Egypt wins

 
 
 

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Febr 13th  Morocco-Mozambique kickoff 20:00 GMT (21:00 MEZ, 15:00 EST)  1st half action:  -the first 40 minutes see nothing but a few minor confusions in Mozambiquan defense, most after corners, a few errors in building up by Mozambique, 2 meaningless wrong offside decisions, an almost opportunity for Mozambiquian #8 Nuro, who could not gain control over the ball, and a shot by Marrocian #13 Bahja hitting the net from outside after picking up an uncontrolled defenders ball.  -('40) a Mozambique defender is injured outside the field and a corner is sailing into the penalty area finding the head of #8 Said Chiba - 1:0  -this puts Mozambique in turmoil and Morocco capitalizes by a superb combination #2 Abdelilah Saber, #7 Mustapha Hadji back to #2 Saber, who had stormed down the right lane and now directly centres it to #11 Ali El Khattabi who puts it in, all plays were one-touch only.- 2:0 ('41)  <-drawing shows only the directly involved players  -(#45) nice free kick by #3 El Hadrioui but right in the middle of the goal and the keeper can save  HALFTIME - 2:0  2nd half action:  -Morocco dominates the second half completely, but until the 80th minute it is only one nice shot (#15, '48, saved) and a free kick trick surprising Mozambique, resulting in an header opportunity for #11, but the ball is saved by the keeper  -in the 53rd minute the typical hard North African defender #4 Rossi implies a bone-crushing  tackle on the yet most conspicious Mozambique player #10 Junior=Chiquinho Conde. The Mozambique midfield engine limps on for 5 more minutes and then has to leave while Rossi only receives yellow.  -('68) a nice attack by Mozambique, by #7 Jojo storming on the right wing and his cross ball is headed by defender Rossi against his own crossbar. Mozambique cannot convert the following confusion  -2 small Marrocain opportunities introduce the typical Mozambique end-of-half confusion  -('39) unforced error by Mozambique #4 leaves two Marocco Attackers (#13 and #9) against the goal-keeper, they play it as a perfect how-to-do-it-sure example and #9 Youssef Fertout makes it- 3:0  -('41)confusion after corner and Marrocain #10 Ouakili hits the crossbar with a 15m lop header  -That's it. Mozambique is out of the competition and will find it hard to score a goal at all. Morocco is three points and 7 goals ahead of Zambia before the last matches.  FINAL RESULT- 3:0

 
 

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Febr 17th  match1: Morocco - Egypt  kickoff 16:00 GMT (17:00 MEZ, 11:00 EST)  match2: Zambia - Mozambique  kickoff 16:00 GMT (17:00 MEZ, 11:00 EST)  Both matches are Group D and played simultaniously to avoid giving an advantage to any team.  The situation BEFORE the matches (all IF's are based on the assumption that goal-difference is the tie-breakers, no official sources supported this service by answering this one little question, neither CAF nor Burkina Faso 98 nor BBC nor African Soccer. But a preview in the Times Of Zambia seem to make it clear the tie-braker is applicated the usual way and not like at Euro96) :
Morocco - Egypt: Egypt are already qualified for the quarterfinals. They need a draw to win the group. The Pharaos may like to win to regain pride against the recently superior North African rival. But by a loss they will avoid South Africa in the quarter-finals.   Morocco, IF they beat Egypt, can win the group, witha tie they are qualified for quarter-finlas. IF Morocco lose, they still will have a remarkable advantage in goal-difference over Zambia. But do not underestimate the fighting spirrit of Kalusha Bwalya &Co.	Zambia - Mozambique:  A point you find quite often in African football is a little missing notion of that everything is possible in football until the last match is played. Being the stronger team does not mean anything if it is only 1-0 five minutes before the end. Germans have tought this lesson to the world often enough, the Super Eagles learned it 1996 when they overcame deficits against both Brazil and Argentina, and Ghana had to see it again in this Nations Cup when they considered themselves already as champions after their first game against Tunisia and the world wide response to it.   It depends a little on the situation in the Zambian camp and the attitude towards the match but IF Zambia is fighting as they did before when being behind in Nations Cup games of the recent history, they might be able at least coming close to accomplish their parts of the miracle. They need a Moocco loss first. Zambians task is eliminate the Morocco goal advantage of (IF Morocco has lost by one goal and has not scored more than two)  6 goals.  6-0? A hard job against a Mozambique team, that only seemed interested in containing the damage yet. But nothing is impossible in football.
1st half action:  -Egypt starts with eagerly attacking while Morocco plays their relaxed style  -('9)brilliant through ball to Egyptian #20 who is denied a goal by the keeper  -Egypt plays as if each of them has had a telephone call with Mubarak while Morocco seems to rely on heat will tire their opposition  -and slowly the match starts to turn: Hadji conducts an attack he finishes himself with a dangerous shot the keeper can save  -('17) solo run by the conspicious Egyptain #14 Hazem Emam  -Morocco is in the match now and until here it has been a good one  -('22) error by Egyptian defender #6 but Hadlji cannot capitalize  -Egyptian defender with problems against Morocco #11 Khattabi  -the match has become a slow one now, nothing to see of Egyptians anymore  -('30) brilliant solo by Naybet and through ball to #10 Ouakili whose pass back is too sharp for Naybet to score  -('39) dangerous corner by Morocco, header #21 wide  -('42) first visible Egyptian attempts again  -('44) another error of Egyptian #6, who then wrestles down Hadji who had free way to the goal- red card by Danish referee Nielsen  HALFTIME: 0:0	1st half action:  -header by #11 Kalusha Bwalya, the keeper can save but the ball is picked of by #19 Kilambe- 1:0  -#3 misses wide on another opportunity  -free kick 25 meters, #11 Kalusha Bwalya scores into the triangle- 2:0  HALFTIME:- 2:0
2nd half action:  -('49) Morocco #15 from right wing hits net from outside after a through ball  -('60) Hadji wide from 20m  -('61) spectacular scene after corner when Morocco #21 hits the crossbar after corner and various headers in direction to and away from the goal follow  -match is played now completely in Egyptian half while the pitch is in the shadow in the second half  -('70) nice attack by Egypt that for a moment risks a bit more. A pass by #9 to #? who tries a trick shot around the keeper  -('78) long ball to Morocco substitute #13 Bahja, who has an exciting duel with the keeper but loses  -Morocco continous to try while Egyptian attack attempts are usually outnumbered (number of players) 2 on 6  -('87) Morocco #9 distance shot wide  -('90) sensational goal: Bahja on right wing curves around a defender and centres a high ball to about the 11m spot. There Mustapha Hadji with the back to the goal takes it direct with a bycicle kick into the triangle- 1:0  -it had almost ended in the expected result but it was no bad game. Obviously it was a prestigeous duel with the winner may have the more difficult rated task in the quarter-finals. But Côte d'Ivoire will be explosive as well.  FINAL RESULT- 1:0, both teams qualified for quarter-finals, Morocco wins group	2nd half action:  (2nd half only Reuters information available)  -('55) Avelino scored for Mozambique- 2:1  -('73) substitute Tembo scored for Zambia- 3:1  -FINAL RESULT- 3:1, one of the greatest players of the decade, Kalusha Bwalya retires from national team without having won the cup but having displyed his extra-ordinary performance abilities once again

 
 
 
 

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Zambia - Morocco 1-1  Egypt - Mozambique 2-0  Zambia - Egypt  0-4  Morocco - Mozambique  3-0  Zambia - Mozambique  3-1  Morocco - Egypt  1-0
1. Morocco*	3	5-1	7
2. Egypt*	3	6-1	6
3. Zambia	3	4-6	4
4. Mozambique	3	1-8	0