2018 CHAN Championship:
- Final: Morocco 4-0 Nigeria
- Third Place off: Libya 1 (2) – 1 (4) Sudan
Hosts Morocco humbled a 10 man Nigerian side 4-0 in the one sided final of the 2018 CHAN tournament before a fully packed Complexe Mohamed V in Casablanca.
Zakaria Hadraf scored twice before the other goals from Walid El Karti and Ayoub El Kaabi crowned the day on a moist evening.
This was Morocco’s first major continental title since winning the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria’s Eneji Moses was red carded early in the second half for unsporting conduct.
Left-winger Ismail Haddad was the star of the Moroccans as he had a say in no less than three of the goals.
Tournament top scorer El Kaabi would have put the home side ahead but the woodwork denied his effort following Hadraf’s cross from the left.
Captain Badr Benoun went on a solo run beating two players and found Abdeljalil Jbira whose cross was slotted home by Hadraf to send the stadium into raptures as the Atlas Lions led 1-0 by the mandatory half way mark.
Eneji was sent for an early shower two minutes into the second half following a foul on Hadraf to early a send booking.
The numerical advantage was put to full use as El Karti netted the second in the 61st minute.
El Kaabi was for the second time denied the post and Haddad pounced on the loose ball and fired a shot a goal that Nigeria goalkeeper Oladele Ajiboye parried for El Karti to head home the rebound for the third goal.
Hadraf completed his brace two minutes later after Ajiboye made a weak touch of a Haddad cross, and the former tapped home the rebound to take the game beyond the Nigerians.
El Kaabi finally registered his name of the scoring cards, firing past Ajiboye from close range on 74 minutes for his ninth of the competition, and seal victory.
Meanwhile, Sudan overcame Libya on Saturday to take third place.
Sudan beat Libya 4-2 during a tense post match penalty shoot out in the third place play off match played at Marrakech stadium.
Walaa Mohamed gave Sudan the lead in the 7th minute following a great header past goalkeeper Mohamed Nashnush from Taher Elhag’s cross on the right.
Second half substitute Salem Ablo found the equalizer for the Meditteranean Knights in the closing stages of the game (7 minutes from full time).
Goalkeeper Akram El Hadi was the hero with two saved two penalties.
Akram saved the kicks of Elmehdi Elhouni and Ablo.
Meanwhile, Taher, Atahir Babikir, Ahmed Mahmoud and substitute Abdelrahman Maaz scored for the Desert Hawks coached by former Gor Mahia head coach Zdravko Logarusic.
Libyan duo Moftah Taktak and substitute Abdelsalam Alaqoub converted their kicks.
Man of the Match:
- Zakaria Hadraf (Morocco)
The ref’s bias ruined the final game.
The hosts were still going to win and didn’t need biased officiating.
This stuff is holding back African footie.