Morocco Held to 1-1 Draw by Libya in Friendly Match Amid Key Player Absences

Visibly weakened by the absence of some of its key players, including its playmaker Hakim Ziyech, Morocco did not make much progress, compared to its first two friendly performances (1-1 against Burkina Faso and 1-0 against Niger).

Morocco, deprived of its star Ziyech, Romain Saïss, Nabil Dirar, Younès Belhanda, Noussaïr Mazraoui and its now former captain Mehdi Benatia, all injured or retired, conceded a sad draw (1-1) against Libya in a friendly match on Friday, October 11, 2019.

Vahid Halilhodzic’s squad, after opening the scoring thanks to its defender El Yamiq, on a corner kick from Fajr (20th), failed to maintain this advantage, despite a large possession of the ball.

The locals struggled to create great opportunities, content with a few corners and free kicks that they failed to exploit properly.

The Atlas Lions also suffered from the poor performance of their goalkeeper, who narrowly missed his catch. The ball bounced off the goalkeeper’s knee, allowing El Warfali (Raja de Casablanca) to equalize in the 42nd minute of play.

The multiple directives of coach Vahid Halilhodzic did not allow the Atlas Lions to dominate the game. This new failure does not help him, given his terms of reference with the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). Appointment next Tuesday for the match against Congo.