An eventful AFCON final ended with a 1-0 win for Senegal over Morocco, thanks to a goal scored in extra time, following a very entertaining game that could have gone either way.
The Atlas Lions had an excellent tournament and were convincing in most of their encounters, but failed to finish it with ease as they faced one of the toughest opponents in Africa.
Morocco were not bad in terms of performance, as they had their chances to score but failed to be decisive in front of goal and were unable to deal with the heavy pressure put on them, especially during the first half, when they failed to shoot on target despite the inviting situations created.
Added to that, Senegal were intelligent enough to sustain their initial motivation and progressively become more dangerous in attack, as they have also come very close to scoring thanks to attacking transitions, high recoveries, and numerical superiority created inside Morocco’s half.
The Lions of Teranga lifted the trophy in the end and confirmed they are Africas team to beat.
They should not be overlooked or undermined during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, having convincingly beaten some of the toughest sides in this AFCON tournament, including Mali, Egypt, and Morocco.
In this tactical analysis article, we will look at both teams’ created actions, specifically their missed counterattacking efforts, how they were created, and why they were not scored.
Senegal Vs Morocco Lineups & Formations
Pape Thiaw preferred to start the match in a 4-3-3 formation, with Edouard Mendy in goal, and a defensive line comprising Antoine Mendy and El Hadji Malick Diouf as full-backs, with Mamadou Sarr and Moussa Niakhaté as centre-backs.
The midfield was made up of Idrissa Gueye as a defensive midfielder, with Lamine Camara and Pape Gueye as central midfielders.
In attack, Senegal relied on their star Sadio Mané on the left wing, Iliman Ndiaye on the right wing, and Nicolas Jackson as the team’s main striker.
On the other hand, Walid Regragui used a 4-1-4-1 formation with Yassine Bounou as a goalkeeper, Achraf Hakimi as a right-back, Nayef Aguerd and Adam Masina as centre-backs, and Noussair Mazraoui as a left-back.
The midfield was composed of Neil El Aynaoui as a defensive midfielder, Bilal El Khannouss and Ismael Saibari as central midfielders, with both Brahim Díaz and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli on the right and left wings.
Morocco opted for their starting striker in this tournament, Ayoub El Kaabi, at the expense of Youssef En-Nesyri, who was subbed on later on in the match.
Senegal & Morocco Counterattacking Issues
Morocco started the match with the right attitude and were clearly capable of scoring, but they lacked the finishing precision to convert their chances.
Senegal left a lot of space for Morocco in the middle of the pitch, and Morocco exploited that well, especially during Morocco’s attacking transitions.
Se
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