Like the Senegalese the day before, the Moroccans had a bad time against the refereeing on Tuesday, after their elimination against South Africa.
Having become one of the main favorites for the African Cup of Nations after the elimination of Senegal, Morocco was left, in turn, with terrible disappointment. Opposed to South Africa, the Atlas Lions were in fact eliminated in the round of 16, beaten 2-0 by Bafana Bafana.
The semi-finalist of the last World Cup may have big regrets. Walid Regragui’s men dominated the proceedings and had a golden opportunity to equalize in the last minutes of the match after the South Africans opened the score shortly before the hour mark. But Achraf Hakimi missed his penalty and the Moroccans were crucified by a second goal in added time.
But for Romain Saïss, the Moroccan captain, the Atlas Lions were above all victims of the refereeing, the former Angevin pointing the finger at the goal refused to Noussair Mazraoui, who thought he had opened the scoring at the half-hour mark. game, before Abde Ezzalzouli was flagged offside. “Even when we score goals, we have them unfairly refused by the refereeing body, because this one has to be explained to me,” he regretted in front of the microphones.
“Don’t let any game action take place… People come to us for meetings before major competitions about refereeing, this and that, but at a certain point, we have to stop taking people for idiots, he fumed. Because it can change the course of the match, afterward it’s not just that…”
