The Moroccan football team snatched an advantageous draw against the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa, during the last round of the African qualifications for the 2022 World Cup football scheduled from November 21 to December 18 in Qatar.
The Moroccans snatched a draw (1-1) in the taste of a victory, after delivering a dull performance against a well-stocked Congolese team and reassured in particular by the presence of high authorities of the country including President Félix Tshisekedi.
After ten minutes of play dominated by the DRC, the Leopards opened the scoring thanks to a curling strike from striker Yoane Wissa in the 12th minute. This opening pained the Moroccans who lost speed, often manhandled by the Leopards without scoring.
In the 29th minute, Leopards striker Cédric Bakambu, served in the back, missed a goal as well as striker Yoane Wissa in the 48th minute with a curled shot.
The Moroccan team should have equalized in the 54th minute, but the penalty obtained from a handball error by Cédric Bakambu, shot by striker Ryan Mmaee, was not discounted.
The bullet was fired high above. It was in the 76th minute that the Moroccans took their revenge with a long aerial ball.
Striker Ayoub El Kaabi headed back to Tarik Tissoudali who equalized 1-1. Morocco has thus snatched a position of strength for the return match, on March 29 in Casablanca, which now promises to be complicated for the Congolese selection.
In the 85th minute, DRC full-back Ngonda Muzinga was sent off for a bad tackle on Achraf Hakimi. Even at 10, DRC Leopards tried to score the second goal.
The return match is scheduled for March 29 at the Mohamed V stadium in Casablanca. The DRC is betting on a qualification for the world, 48 years after its first and only participation in 1974.
The first official meeting between the Moroccan team and its counterpart from the DRC, then called Zaire, dates back to 1972, during the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Zaire had been hooked by the Atlas Lions (1-1).
The most significant match in the history of confrontations between the two teams was played in 1973 during the qualifiers for the 1974 World Cup in Germany.
After validating their ticket to the final tournament, qualifying for the World Cup, the Atlas Lions were surprised by Zambia who had won by 4 goals to 0, and had to win their second match in Kinshasa against Zaire to get back into the race. But Morocco withdrew, calling into question the arbitration of Ghanaian Major Lamptey.
