2018 African Nations Championship Final

The 2018 African Nations Championship Final was a football match to determine the winners of the CHAN 2018 tournament and took place on 4 February 2018 at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco and it was contested by Morocco the host nation and Nigeria.[1][2] This was the first time since tournament was introduced in 2009 that a host nation reached the final. Before this match the two teams met in the 2014 CHAN tournament at the quarter-finals stage,[3] which Nigeria won 4–3 after extra time.[4]

2018 African Nations Championship Final
Event2018 African Nations Championship
Morocco Nigeria
4 0
Date4 February 2018
Venue Stade Mohammed V , Casablanca
Man of the MatchZakaria Hadraf
RefereeBakary Gassama
Attendance75,000

Morocco won the match 4–0, winning the title for the first time and becoming the first team representing the host nation to lift the trophy.

Venue
Main article: Stade Mohammed V

The final was held at the Stade Mohammed V in the heart of the city of Casablanca, Morocco, in the western part of Maarif district. The stadium which has hosted numerous international sporting events, the Mediterranean Games of 1983, Africa Cup of Nations final in 1988, U-17 Africa Championship in 2013 and hosted the CAF Super Cup final on the 23 February 2018.

Background

Morocco appeared in their 3rd tournament, and their 1st final. There previous best performance in the competition was reaching the quarterfinal in the 2014 CHAN. Nigeria also appeared in their 3rd tournament, and their 1st final. There previous best performance was reaching the semifinals of the 2014 CHAN. Morocco and Nigeria had met once in the competition before, the time when Nigeria knocked Morocco out of the 2014 CHAN after defeating them 4–3 in extra time, in the quarterfinals after Abubakar Aliyu Ibrahim scored the winner at the 111th minute.

Morocco were 39th in the FIFA World Rankings (4th among African nations), while Nigeria were 51st (9th among African nations).[5]

Route to the final
Further information: 2018 African Nations Championship
Morocco Round Nigeria
Opponents Result Group stage Opponents Result
 Mauritania 4–0 Match 1  Rwanda 0–0
 Guinea 3–1 Match 2  Libya 1–0
 Sudan 0–0 Match 3  Equatorial Guinea 3–1
Group A winner
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Morocco (H) 3 7
2  Sudan 3 7
3  Guinea 3 3
4  Mauritania 3 0
Source: CAF
(H) Host.
 Final standings Group C winner
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Nigeria 3 7
2  Libya 3 6
3  Rwanda 3 4
4  Equatorial Guinea 3 0
Source: CAF
Opponents Result Knockout stage Opponents Result
 Namibia 2–0 Quarter-finals  Angola 2–1 (a.e.t.)
 Libya 3–1 (a.e.t.) Semi-finals  Sudan 1–0

Match

Summary

Morocco's first chance came in the third minute when Walid El Karti flicked the ball in from close range. The hosts thought they had scored just four minutes later when Ayoub El Kaabi headed home, only for the assistant referee's flag to go up – claiming the corner had swung out of play before it reached the striker.[6] Morocco unsettled Nigeria with their early dominance as the West Africans laboured in search of their rhythm. And they kept the Nigerian backline busy till the quarter-hour mark during which Ayoub El Kaabi was denied by the crossbar from a Zakaria Hadraf cross from the left.[7] The Super Eagles came into the fore around the 20th minute mark but rarely threatened the Moroccan defence.

Just before the break, the stadium came alive with the opener courtesy Hadraf. Captain Badr Banoun went on a solo run beating two players and found Abdeljalil Jbira whose cross was slotted home by Hadraf to send the stadium into raptures. Nigeria relied mainly on long balls forward for their attacks and Morocco's Anas Zniti did not have a serious save to make before half-time. Trailing by a lone goal, Nigeria’s chances of a comeback were dealt a severe blow two minutes after recess when Peter Moses was sent off for a second yellow card after fouling Hadraf.

The second goal came on 61 minutes through El Karti, and yet again Ismail Haddad was the architect. El Kaabi was for the second time denied the post and Haddad pounced on the loose ball and fired a shot a goal that Nigeria goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye parried for El Karti to head home the rebound. Hadraf completed his brace two minutes later after Ajiboye made a weak touch of a Haddad cross, and the former tapped home the rebound to take the game beyond the Nigerians. El Kaabi finally registered his name of the scoring cards, firing past Ajiboye from close range on 74 minutes for his ninth of the competition, and seal victory.

Morocco thus won its first major continental championship since their triumph in the 1976 African Cup of Nations.[8]

Details
Morocco 4–0 Nigeria
 Report
Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca
Attendance: 75,000
Morocco[9]
Nigeria[9]
GK1Anas Zniti
RB16Mohamed Nahiri
CB5Jawad El Yamiq
CB13Badr Banoun (c) 77'
LB20Abdeljalil Jbira
RM7Zakaria Hadraf 72'
CM8Salaheddine Saidi
CM6Badr Boulahroud 52' 60'
LM11Ismail Haddad
SS10Walid El Karti
CF9Ayoub El Kaabi 82'
Substitutions:
MF19Barrahma El Mehdi 60'
FW14Ahmed Hammoudan 72'
MF23Ayoub Nanah 82'
Manager:
Jamal Sellami
GK16Dele Ajiboye
RB2Osas Okoro 34'
CB6Stephen Eze
CB5Kalu Orji (c)
LB12Ikouwem Udo
DM4Emeka Atuloma
CM10Rabiu Ali 57'
CM15Dayo Ojo
RF7Emeka Ogbugh 53'
CF22Gabriel Okechukwu
LF11Peter Moses 44'  49'
Substitutions:
FW9Anthony Okpotu 53'
MF18Augustine Oladapo 57'
Manager:
Salisu Yusuf

Man of the Match:
Zakaria Hadraf (Morocco)

Assistant referees:
Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos (Angola)
Marwa Range (Kenya)
Fourth official:
Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)

Match rules[10]

Records

This final witnessed some records, like:

  1. Morocco's became the first host nation to claim the CHAN title.[6]
  2. Morocco won its first major continental championship since their triumph in the 1976 African Cup of Nations.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Match Schedule". CAF Online. Confederation of African Football. 15 January 2018.
  2. "Fixtures of the Final Tournament". CAF.
  3. "Quarter-Final Fixtures and Predictions". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  4. "CHAN 2014: Nigeria and Zimbabwe through to semi-finals". BBC Sports. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  5. "Men's Ranking, 18 January 2018". FIFA.com. FIFA. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  6. Cavell, Nick (4 February 2018). "Morocco beat Nigeria 4–0 in final to lift trophy". BBC. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  7. "Host Morocco Crowned Champions". CAF. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  8. Isabirye, David (5 February 2018). "Morocco wins 2018 CHAN championship". Kawowo. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  9. "Tactical start list: Morocco – Nigeria" (PDF). cafonline.com. Confederation of African Football. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  10. "2018 African Nations Championship Regulations" (PDF). CAF.
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