Togo Faces Defeat in U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers as Morocco Takes Control
Togo’s U-20 football team endured a difficult start to their quest for qualification for the Senegal 2015 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, suffering a 2-0 loss to Morocco in the first leg of the second-round qualifiers. The match, held in Lomé, saw the junior Sparrowhawks struggle against a determined Moroccan side, with many of the home team’s frustrations directed at the officiating.
The game got off to a disappointing start for Togo, as they conceded the opening goal in the 34th minute. A defensive blunder allowed Morocco’s Achraf Achaoui to take advantage of a poor clearance by the Togolese defense, putting the Moroccan Lion Cubs in the lead. The visitors held on to their advantage through halftime, despite Togo’s efforts to regroup.
The second half saw Morocco increase their lead almost immediately. In the 47th minute, Togo’s hopes of a comeback were further dashed when Nabil Jaadi converted a penalty, doubling the Moroccan lead to 2-0. The decision to award the penalty was met with protests from the Togolese players, who had already voiced their displeasure with the officiating throughout the match.
Togo’s frustrations continued as the match wore on, with the crowd at the stadium joining in the protest against the decisions made by the Tunisian referee, Slim Belkhouas, and his officiating team. For much of the match, the Togolese struggled to impose themselves on the game, finding it difficult to break down Morocco’s solid defense and build any meaningful attacks.
Despite these challenges, Togo will now look to the return leg, scheduled for two weeks’ time, with the hope of overturning the deficit and keeping their dreams of qualifying for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations alive. However, they will need to show significant improvements both on the field and in terms of their tactical discipline if they are to recover from this disappointing result.
With Morocco’s 2-0 advantage, they head into the second leg with a clear upper hand, but Togo will be hoping for a strong response in the return fixture to keep their qualification hopes intact.
