Ghana’s hopes of progressing in the 2024 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were dealt a heavy blow as they fell to a convincing 8-3 defeat at the hands of defending champions and hosts Morocco on Saturday (13 April).
Playing in front of a raucous home crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Hall in Rabat. Morocco wasted no time asserting its dominance. Youssef Jouad opened the scoring within the opening minute with his side-footed finish, leaving Ghanaian goalkeeper Rapheal Tsigbe with no chance. Captain Soufiane El Mesrar doubled the lead just two minutes later with a powerful left-footed strike, sending the home fans into a frenzy.
Ghana briefly threatened a comeback when Prince Arthur’s deflected set-piece found the net in the sixth minute. However, Morocco quickly extinguished any hope of a fightback with a delightful goal from Soufiane Charraoui. El Mesrar further extended the lead after a clever assist from Jouad, before Philip Nii Boye grabbed a consolation goal for Ghana just before halftime.
The second half was a tighter affair, but Morocco remained in control. A penalty from El Mesrar, converted by Bilal Bakkali, put the game beyond doubt in the 57th minute. Late goals from Khalid Bouzid and Jouad sealed a comprehensive victory for the defending champions.
Despite the scoreline, Morocco coach Hicham Dguig acknowledged the threat posed by Ghana. “Ghana had nothing to lose during the match, and they caused us some problems,” he admitted. “We made some mistakes, but in the second half we regained our organisation and scored three times without conceding.”
Ghana coach Philip Boakye conceded Morocco’s superiority. “We approached the game with a tactical variation, but Morocco’s tactical play, coupled with their experience, prevailed,” he said. “We will analyse the match, identify our mistakes, and bounce back against Angola.”
The win puts Morocco firmly at the top of Group A, with six points from two games. Angola and Zambia are tied for second with three points each, while Ghana remains without a point.
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