Rachid Taoussi expresses his happiness as the Lions of the Atlas secure their ticket to the final phase of CAN 2013, defeating Mozambique. Taking charge of the Moroccan national team following the dismissal of Belgian coach Eric Gerets (after Morocco’s loss in the first leg), Rachid Taoussi has achieved success in his debut match. Morocco overcame Mozambique with a convincing 4-0 victory.
Facing a two-goal deficit from the previous month’s defeat (2-0), Morocco successfully avoided falling into the Mozambican trap. After a cautious start against a well-organized Mozambique team, the 45,000 supporters at the Marrakech stadium witnessed the first goal in the 36th minute. Abdelaziz Barrada, with a well-placed header, opened the scoring, making it 1-0 at halftime. The dynamic Getafe midfielder continued to shine, earning a penalty converted by Kharja in the 63rd minute, leading to the expulsion of Mozambique’s captain, Hobo Alemiro. Reduced to 10 players and without their goalkeeper Joaa Kapango, who left the field due to injury in the 72nd minute, Mozambique faced a challenging situation.
The relief for the Lions of the Atlas came in the 82nd minute with a header from Youssef El-Arabi. Morocco sealed its resurgence in injury time with a well-placed shot from Nordin Amrabat. With a final score of 4-0, the Lions of the Atlas secured their place in South Africa for CAN 2013.
