Morocco’s international window ended with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Mali at the Grand Stade de Tanger on Sunday, with analyst Mohamed El Hajoui warning that the result was less concerning than the standard of the team’s performance.
The Lions of the Atlas had begun the period with consecutive 2-0 victories over Gabon and Lesotho, but struggled to reproduce that form against Mali despite taking the lead.
Abde Ezzalzouli won a penalty in the 33rd minute after being unbalanced inside the Mali area. The Morocco forward took responsibility from the spot and converted to put his side 1-0 ahead.
However, Mohamed Ouahbi’s team never established full control of the match. Morocco continued to apply some pressure after the interval but failed to create enough clear chances to extend its advantage.
Mali gradually increased the intensity of its attacks and were rewarded in the 77th minute when Diarra Gaoussou scored the equaliser. Both sides had opportunities to change the outcome during the closing stages, but neither found a winning goal.
‘A worrying performance’
Speaking to Africafoot, El Hajoui, a sports analyst for Morocco’s public television channels, expressed his disappointment with the display. He said the match reminded him of an earlier meeting between the two teams in Rabat, pointing to what he viewed as striking similarities between the performances.
For the analyst, the final score was not the main source of concern. He was more troubled by the overall contribution of the players, particularly the defensive weaknesses exposed by Mali’s equaliser.
El Hajoui considered the goal conceded by Morocco a clear example of shortcomings that remain within the national team. He also felt the players should have produced a stronger performance because the squad was almost complete, with Noussair Mazraoui the only notable absentee after leaving the camp because of injury.
The second half was a particular source of frustration for the analyst. He criticised the level of the team’s display in front of the large crowd at the Grand Stade de Tanger and argued that it did not show sufficient respect to the supporters.
He also questioned whether the performance reflected the standing of the players currently representing Morocco.
Tactical decisions questioned
El Hajoui criticised some of Mohamed Ouahbi’s decisions, saying they appeared to indicate an attempt to satisfy certain parties rather than maintain sporting consistency.
He specifically referred to Anass Salah-Eddine and also raised questions about the use of Ali Maamar. Another decision that attracted his attention was the deployment of Bilal El Khannouss at left-back so that Azzedine Ounahi could operate in midfield.
The analyst additionally questioned the commitment shown by some Morocco internationals. In his view, players who are not operating at full capacity should be honest enough to inform the coach.
Yassine Bounou was one of the few positives he identified, with the goalkeeper making a spectacular intervention during the first half.