Morocco-Mali: Lions lead at halftime thanks to Ezzalzouli

Morocco leads 1-0 against Mali at halftime of this friendly match held at the Grand Stade de Tanger. The Atlas Lions had to deal with the physical impact imposed by the Malians before making the difference with a penalty thanks to Abdessamad Ezzalzouli.

Mali quickly showed its intentions. In the 3rd minute, Yassine Bounou had to stretch to respond to an early threat. The Eagles continued to bring a lot of impact to the duels, disrupting Morocco’s build-up during the first minutes.

Morocco gradually took control of the ball and created its first real chance in the 19th minute. Ayyoub Bouaddi advanced the ball from midfield before setting up Ismael Saibari, whose shot was saved by Malian goalkeeper Djigui Diarra Samassa.

One minute later, Azzedine Ounahi took a corner that was met by Neil El Aynaoui, but he failed to find the target. In the 22nd minute, Saibari found Ounahi with a strong pass. The Moroccan midfielder expertly controlled the ball before unleashing a shot that went wide.

With 59% possession after 25 minutes, the Atlas Lions continued to push forward. Two minutes later, Ali Maamar found Saibari, who immediately set up Ezzalzouli, alone in the box. However, the Moroccan’s attempt was stopped by the Malian defense.

Mali nearly capitalized on a lost ball by Bilal El Khannouss in the center in the 31st minute. The Moroccan defense, aided by Ayyoub Bouaddi’s return, ultimately managed to clear the danger.

One minute later, the match turned. Ezzalzouli intercepted a ball in front of the Malian defense and surprised his opponent, who attempted to clear but ended up hitting the Moroccan player. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot.

Ezzalzouli took the penalty. Samassa went the right way and even touched the ball, but the shot was well-placed and powerful enough to find the back of the net. Morocco opened the scoring in the 32nd minute.

Mali tried to respond. In the 39th minute, Doumbia delivered an excellent cross into the Moroccan box, but no Malian attacker managed to connect with the ball.

Two minutes later, the Lions responded. Ounahi delivered an excellent pass to Ezzalzouli, whose shot this time missed the target.

Just before halftime, Issa Diop launched Ali Maamar at the edge of offside. The Moroccan full-back held off his opponent before setting up Ounahi in a great position, but the latter’s attempt once again went wide.

Morocco thus heads into the locker room with a one-goal advantage. The Lions gradually took control of the match after a start marked by the aggression and physical impact of Mali, but they will need to be more precise in front of goal in the second half.