Accra — Morocco's Atlas Lions were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament on Monday when they suffered a 0-2 defeat to Ghana.
The Moroccans learned the hard way that no two soccer games are alike, as a totally transformed Ghanaian team cruised to victory.
The Lions' coach, Henri Michel of France, knew from the start that a victory was needed, which is why he allowed two of his team's best players, Chamakh and Aboucherouane, into his opening line up.
But Ghana's Muntari stood in their way, first by joining teammate Michael Essien in a tactical play which set Essien up to score following a free kick in the 25th minute, then by defeating the Moroccan goalie to score in the 45th minute.
Ghana's Black Stars appeared in better shape than in previous games, with Junior Agogo and Gyan Asamoah spearheading the offense. Essien for his part controlled the mid-field.
Morocco did try to move onto the offensive but their attempts proved unsuccessful. Ghana, on the other hand, kept pushing thanks to Muntari, who has so far appeared to be the team's best player.
After Ghana's second goal, Morocco's fate was sealed. Henri Michel made two key replacements, seeking to boost his team's performance, but it was in vain.
What's next for Michel?
For Michel, who led Cote d'Ivoire to the final in 2006, this tournament has turned into a nightmare. Monday's loss brought low the high hopes that had been raised by Morocco's first game (in which they beat Namibia 5-1).
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His record this year is similar to that when he coached Tunisia for the 2002 Cup of Nations in Mali – in that tournament his players were eliminated without scoring even a single goal.
And considering Morocco's potential, this year's failure is particularly hard to swallow. During the preparatory phase leading up to the tournament, Morocco pulled off a draw against France and went on to nail Senegal in a friendly.
The team’s performance in Ghana will most likely be considered Michel's failure, compounded by that of players who seemed unable to step up the level of their game.
Will Michel follow the lead of his compatriot Henri Kasperszack, who has resigned following Senegal's elimination from the Cup of Nations? Not likely – he has a contract until 2010 and a declared mission of ensuring Morocco qualifies for the next World Cup.
Now Moroccan officials may have to rethink the wisdom of that contract. Maybe they will hand him a handsome check and kiss him goodbye, so they can pursue with another coach their 32-year-old dream of bringing another Nations Cup home.
