Africa Cup of Nations - Group D
MoroccoMorocco1NamibiaNamibia0

Africa Cup of Nations 2019: Morocco beat Namibia 1-0 after late own goal

Morocco players celebrate their victory over Namibia
Group D - featuring Morocco, Namibia, Ivory Coast and South Africa - is considered the tournament's toughest group

Namibia forward Iitamunua Keimuine's 89th-minute own goal gifted Morocco victory in their opening Africa Cup of Nations Group D match.

Keimuine misjudged Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech's free-kick as the 2017 quarter-finalists won in Cairo.

Two-time winning coach Herve Renard's side were limited to largely long-range attempts against a Namibia side making their first appearance since 2008.

Ivory Coast face South Africa in Group D's other match on Monday (15:30 BST).

Despite a starting line-up featuring Ajax player of the season Ziyech, Morocco looked on course for a point against a side ranked 113 in the world - in what is considered the tournament's toughest group.

Nabil Dirar forced Namibia goalkeeper Loydt Kazapua to tip a looping long-range shot over in an uneventful first half, while Nordin Amrabat went down under a challenge by Danzil Haoseb but saw his appeals for a penalty dismissed.

In search of a solution, French coach Renard - who previously triumphed with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015 - introduced Celta Vigo forward Sofiane Boufal who made a marked difference to the Morocco attack.

The former Southampton man almost made an instant impact, forcing Kazapua to save low to his right, before firing narrowly wide with 10 minutes remaining.

Ziyech, expected to leave Ajax this summer, offered darting runs and trickery but Namibia remained well-organised before suffering a cruel blow as Keimuine's error handed Morocco all three points.

Next, Morocco face Renard's former side Ivory Coast on Friday (18:00 BST), while Namibia come up against South Africa later that day (21:00 BST).

Analysis

by BBC Africa's Matthew Kenyon:

"An average performance, but the most important [thing] is to win three points." Morocco coach Herve Renard summed things up neatly - at the end of a game his team scarcely deserved to win.

It's true the Atlas Lions had most of the possession - and their build-up play was effective at times. But in the final third, it broke down time and time again, to the obvious frustration of players and fans.

The last-minute own goal was so harsh on Namibia - who deserved a point, although they created little. Ivory Coast and South Africa have been warned. Morocco got away with this one, and will surely be keen to do better.

Line-ups

Morocco

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Bono
  • 17Dirar
  • 5Benatia
  • 6Saïss
  • 2Hakimi
  • 18BourabiaSubstituted forBoufalat 58'minutes
  • 15Aït BennasserSubstituted forEl Ahmadiat 70'minutes
  • 7Ziyech
  • 14Boussoufa
  • 16N Amrabat
  • 19En-NesyriSubstituted forBoutaïbat 78'minutes

Substitutes

  • 3Mazraoui
  • 4da Costa
  • 8El Ahmadi
  • 9Boufal
  • 11Fajr
  • 12Mohamedi
  • 13Boutaïb
  • 20Idrissi
  • 21Abdelhamid
  • 22Tagnaouti
  • 23Baadi

Namibia

Formation 4-4-2

  • 23Kazapua
  • 6Horaeb
  • 22Nyambe
  • 2Haoseb
  • 4Hanamub
  • 19Shitembi
  • 12Ketjijere
  • 10StarkeSubstituted forPapamaat 64'minutes
  • 7HottoSubstituted forStephanusat 87'minutes
  • 11LimbondiSubstituted forKeimuineat 80'minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 13Shalulile

Substitutes

  • 1Mbaeva
  • 3Gebhardt
  • 5Hambira
  • 8Stephanus
  • 9Shilongo
  • 14Kamatuka
  • 15Papama
  • 16Mbazuvara
  • 17Keimuine
  • 18Gurirab
  • 20Kamberipa
  • 21Fredericks
Referee:
Louis Hakizimana
Attendance:
6,857

Match Stats

Home TeamMoroccoAway TeamNamibia
Possession
Home67%
Away33%
Shots
Home17
Away3
Shots on Target
Home5
Away0
Corners
Home5
Away0
Fouls
Home17
Away15

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Morocco 1, Namibia 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Morocco 1, Namibia 0.

  3. Booking

    Itamunua Keimuine (Namibia) is shown the yellow card.

  4. Post update

    Nordin Amrabat (Morocco) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Itamunua Keimuine (Namibia).

  6. Post update

    Nabil Dirar (Morocco) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Itamunua Keimuine (Namibia).

  8. Post update

    Foul by Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco).

  9. Post update

    Itamunua Keimuine (Namibia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Goal!

    Own Goal by Itamunua Keimuine, Namibia. Morocco 1, Namibia 0.

  11. Post update

    Sofiane Boufal (Morocco) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Itamunua Keimuine (Namibia).

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Namibia. Willy Stephanus replaces Deon Hotto.

  14. Post update

    Romain Saïss (Morocco) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Peter Shalulile (Namibia).

  16. Post update

    Foul by Nordin Amrabat (Morocco).

  17. Post update

    Larry Horaeb (Namibia) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  18. Post update

    Offside, Namibia. Lloyd Kazapua tries a through ball, but Peter Shalulile is caught offside.

  19. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  20. Post update

    Delay in match because of an injury Lloyd Kazapua (Namibia).

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Uganda11002023
2Egypt11001013
3Zimbabwe100101-10
4DR Congo100102-20

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Nigeria11001013
2Guinea10102201
3Madagascar10102201
4Burundi100101-10

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Algeria11002023
2Senegal11002023
3Kenya100102-20
4Tanzania100102-20

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Morocco11001013
2Ivory Coast00000000
3South Africa00000000
4Namibia100101-10

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Angola00000000
2Mali00000000
3Mauritania00000000
4Tunisia00000000

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Benin00000000
2Cameroon00000000
3Ghana00000000
4Guinea-Bissau00000000
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