Sports

Morocco humiliates 10-man Eagles, win first CHAN title

Hosts Morocco has won the 2018 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) title after thrashing 10- man home-based Super Eagles of Nigeria 4-0 in Sunday’s final in Casablanca.
It was the first time both Morocco and Nigeria would play in the final of CHAN.
A brace from Zakaria Hadraf and a goal each from Walid El Karti and Ayoub El Kaabi, his ninth of the tournament, secured the emphatic win.
Moses Eneji, who made his first appearance in the tournament against Morocco, was sent off for a second bookable offence.
The last time both countries met in CHAN was in the quarter-finals of the 2014 edition when the Home Eagles, under the late Stephen Keshi, came from 3-0 down to win 4-3 after extra-time.
Morocco become the first country to host and win the CHAN and are the third North African team after Libya (2014) and Tunisia (2011) to win the tournament.
Also they are the third country after Democratic Republic of Congo (AFCON: 1968, 1974, CHAN: 2009, 2016) and Tunisia (AFCON: 2004, CHAN: 2011) to win the CHAN and the Africa Cup of Nations. Morocco’s only AFCON title was won in 1976.
Nigeria are now the first country to lose 4-0 in the final of the CHAN.

How Eagles rated Vs Morocco
Below is the rating of the Home-based Super eagles in the 4-0 loss against Morocco
DELE AJIBOYE 7/10
Conceded four times in the game but still posted an impressive showing. He was let down by his defence for all the goals.
OSAS OKORO 4/10
Failed to live up to his previous heights in the competition as he was badly exposed by the Moroccans.
STEPHEN EZE 4/10
Eze was not at his best in the game and was giv a run around by the Moroccans. It was no doubt his worst showing of the competition.
KALU ORJI 5\10
The stand-in skipper tried in vain to put the defence together especially after Moses Eneji’s dismissal without success. He made a couple of vital blocks but it was not enough to prevent his side from losing.
KOUWEN UDOH 6/10
A slightly above average performance from the young defender who was Nigeria’s best defender in the game. Played a number of defence splitting passes and defended well too.
EMEKA ATULOMA 4/10
Returned to the starting line-up after missing the semi-final win against Sudan due to injury. The Rivers United player started the game well but fizzled out like most of his teammates and was forced off in the second half due to injury.
RABIU ALI 4/10
A below-par showing which summed up his performance in the competition. He was replaced in the 57th minute by Augustine Oladapo.
DAYO OJO 4/10
Toiled hard to impress in the game with no success. He was outnumbered in midfield by the Moroccans.
EMEKA OGBUBH 4/10
Another player who returned to the starting line-up after missing out against Sudan due to injury. He probably did not shake off the injury enough as never really get into gear in the game.
MOSES ENEJI 4/10
Looked lively in what was his first start of the competition but was dismissed early in the second half for a rash challenge.
GABRIEL OKECHUKWU 5/10
He was completely isolated upfront and did not get the kind of service he would have required.
SUBSTITUTES
ANTHONY OKPOTU 3/10
Came in for Emeka Ogbuh early in the second half and didn’t do anything positive to turn the game around.
AUGUSTINE OLADAPO 4/10
He was surprisingly left on the bench after impressing in the semi-final against Sudan. He could do nothing to change the fortune of his team after his introduction for Rabiu Ali in the 56th minute.
MUSTAPHA IBRAHIM 2/10
Another substitute who did nothing to affect the game.

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