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Winner Takes It All

It was a fantastic display from the Moroccans in their first game of the tournament against Namibia. They took the Brave Warriors to the cleaners with some textbook attacking play that left many soccer-loving fans grinning with delight and admiration.

The star of the show was Al Ain’s FC midfielder Soufiane Alloudi, who got a first-half hat trick in less than half an hour. This makes him the highest goal scorer of the tournament so far, with his predatory finishing and right-place, right-time positioning helping him along the way.

Also putting in a sterling performance that evening was Portugal-based offensive midfielder Tarik Sektioui, who orchestrated almost all of Morocco's fine moves.

Running the right flank impressively was wing back Mickael Chretien - his crosses were precise and his tackles also ensured the Namibians had very little space to conjure up anything in the Moroccan half. Indeed, apart from Brendell’s well worked goal, Raja Casablanca goalkeeper Khalid Fouhami had little to do all evening.

Now, that victory put Henri Michel’s men as the favorites going into this encounter with the Syli Stars.

The Guineans have given themselves all to do after a rather dismal performance against the none-too-impressive Ghanaians on matchday one.

Dynamo Kiev forward Ismael Bangoura was very tame in front of goal, wasting several opportunities for the Guineans - he was the biggest culprit of the evening. Bobo Balde will have to tighten up his team’s defence, too: they looked rather disorganized against the Ghanaians. They will be up against a much more purposeful and faster attack line in the Moroccans.

Pascal Feindounou was arguably the best player on the pitch in a Guinean jersey Monday evening. He tried to carry his team along, but they seemed too heavy to drag, and his occasional delightful passes were thrown away by the rather unprepared Bangoura.

Coach Nouzaret has stated categorically that his team will make it to the semi-finals of the competition. However ,to achieve that feat, this game is must-win, and they will have to put up a much more inspiring display than they did against the Ghanaians.

History isn't on their side. The Guineans will be very aware of the 1976 encounter against the Moroccans, where they were minutes away from winning the cup before the Moroccans snatched it away from them.

The outcome of this game will most likely decide who goes through to the quarter-final stage of the competition.

TEAM NEWS

Morocco

Hat trick Hero Soufiane Alloudi has been ruled out of this encounter picking up a knee knock courtesy of Namibia’s Richard Gariseband in the first game. He looks set to be replaced by Dynamo Kiev’s Badr El Kaddouri or Al Jazeera’s Youssef Mouktari.

Aside that injury-prompted change, I do not foresee Coach Henri Michel making any serious alteration to his side.

In goal we should still see Raja Casablanca’s Khalid Fouhami. The defence will most likely be marshaled by Abdeslam Ouaddou and Talal El Karkouri of Qatar SC. On the right side of the defence, the impressive Mickael Chretien should retain his place, while UAE-based left-back El Armine Erbate should complete the back four.

In the midfield, skipper Youssef Safri of Southampton will hold the defensive role ,supported occasionally by CSKA Sofia’s Abderrahmane Kabous. Tarik Sektioui and probably Dynamo Kiev's El Kaddouri will be responsible for feeding the attack line of Maroune Chamakh and Youssef Hadji with the balls.

I expect to see the same 4-4-2 formation that the Moroccans used in the first game.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Abdelilah Bagui (Maghreb Fes, Morocco) Khalid Fouhami (Raja Casablanca, Morocco) Nadir Lamyaghri (Wydad Casablanca, Morocco)

Defenders: Jamal Alioui (FC Sion Switzerland) Abdessamad Chahiri (Difaa El Jadida, Morocco) Mickael Chretien (Nancy, France) Talal El Karkouri (Qatar SC, Qatar) El Armine Erbate (Al Dafra, United Arab Emirates) Hicham Mahdoufi (Metalist Kharkiv, Ukraine) Abdeslam Ouaddou (Valenciennes, France)

Midfielders: Soufiane Alloudi (Al Ain, United Arab Emirates) Badr El Kaddouri (Dinamo Kyiv, Ukraine) Abderrahmane Kabous (CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria) Houcine Kharja (Piacenza, Italy) Abdelkrim Kissi (EN Paralimini, Cyprus) Youssef Safri (Southampton, England) Tarik Sektioui (FC Porto, Portugal)

Strikers: Hicham Aboucherouane (Esperance, Tunisia) Maroune Chamakh (Girondins Bordeaux, France) Bouchaib El Moubarki (Grenoble, France) Youssef Hadji (Nancy, France) Youssef Moukhtari (Al Jazeera, Qatar) Moncef Zerka (Nancy, France)

Guinea

Kemoko Camara should retain his goalkeeping position, while the defence will have Celtic’s Dianbobo Balde and Oumar Kalabane holding the center. Alseny Camara and Daouda Jabi will complete the back line.

The team’s captain, Pascal Feindounou, will be at the heart of the midfield, controlling the Guineans' every move, ably assisted by Cherbourg’s Victor Corea.

Etoile du Sahel’s Mohammed Sacko should be in the starting line-up, and we might be seeing Mamadou Diolde Bah starting for the first time in the competition.

Upfront, we should see the introduction of Fode Mansare and Souleymane Youla. The ineffective Ismael Bangoura might have to come on from the bench later in the game.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Kemoko Camara (unattached), Naby Diarso (Satellite FC, Guinea), Naby Yattara (RACS Couillet, Belgium)

Defenders: Dianbobo Balde (Celtic, Scotland) Habib Jean Balde (Reims, France) Alseny Camara (Rodez, France) Ibrahima Camara (Le Mans, France) Mamadou Dioulde Bah (Racing Strasbourg, France) Mohamed Alimou Diallo (Sivasspor, Turkey) Daouda Jabi (Trabzonspor, Turkey) Oumar Kalabane (Manisaspor, Turkey)
Kamil Zayatte (Young Boys Berne, Switzerland)

Midfielders: Mohamed Cisse (Bursaspor, Turkey) Pascal Feindouno (St Etienne, France) Samuel Johnson (Ismaili, Egypt) Mohamed Sacko (Etoile Sahel, Tunisia) Naby Soumah (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia) Kanfory Sylla (Sivasspor, Turkey)

Strikers: Ismael Bangoura (Dynamo Kiev, Russia) Karamoko Cisse (Verona, Italy) Victor Correa (Cherbourg, France) Fode Mansare (Toulouse, France) Souleymane Youla (Lille, France)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Guinea - Pascal Feindounou: Feindounou was a delight to watch in his team’s opening game defeat against the Black Stars of Ghana. If the Guineans are going to win this game, Feindounou is the man that will lead that victory charge.

Morocco - Tarik Sektioui: He is to the Moroccans as Feindounou is to the Guineans. Sektioui can hold the ball well, distribute passes and score wonderful goals, too. The Moroccans will need this player to be at his best if they are to defeat the Guineans today.

PREDICTION

This is a very hard one to call. The Guineans will be going into this game with a lot more pressure to win than the Moroccans, having lost their first game.

As such, they may be more inclined to press forward. That might create cracks in their defense line and expose them to counter attacks.

But the Moroccan defence is not as strong as one might first imagine. When put under some coordinated pressure, it could buckle, and that is what the Guineans will be hoping for.

I give favour very slightly to the Guineans, even though it looks like it could be heading towards a draw.

Guinea 2:1 Morocco


source:goal.com