Morocco Dominates Ghana 8-3 in Futsal CAN 2024 Quarter-Final, Secures Semi-Final Spot

From the first minutes, the Atlas Lions took control of the match, opening the scoring as early as the first minute through Youssef Jawad. Soufiane El Mesrar then doubled the lead three minutes later, suffocating the Ghanaians from the start. Despite a goal by Sarter to reduce the deficit (6th), the Moroccans continued their dominance, scoring three more goals by Soufian Charraoui (8th) and Soufiane El Mesrar (14th), who scored his brace. A new Ghanaian goal in the 14th minute did not slow the Moroccan momentum, as Charraoui scored his second personal goal three minutes before half-time (17th). Score at half-time: 5-3 in favor of Morocco.

The second half was more contested, with both teams seeking to score. The Moroccans missed several opportunities to increase the score, while the Ghanaians tried to come back into the game through counterattacks. But the well-organized Moroccan defense resisted. Bilal Bakkali sealed the score on a penalty, before Khalid Bouzid and Youssef Jawad added to the tally. Final victory for Morocco 8 to 3.

With this victory, the Atlas Lions finish first in their group with six points, and therefore qualify for the semi-finals. They will face the second-placed team in Group B on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 pm at the Moulay Abdallah Sports Complex.

For their part, Ghana finish last in the group with zero points, and are therefore eliminated from the competition. The Ghanaians paid for their lack of experience and luck against a much stronger and more determined Moroccan team.