The Eagles didn’t have as good a game as expected.
Previously, the smoking Eagles would have decided the match in regulation time, but they happily ceded the tempo to the fiery Moroccans.
The Atlas Lions showed more interest in advancing to the finals than the super-powerful Eagles from West Africa, and naturally the hungry team won.
For the first few minutes, the Eagles imposed their usual dominant self on the hosts, but suddenly relinquished that advantage and resorted to falling back.
A well-organized defense contained all pressure and kept the offense at bay for 120 minutes of regulation time and overtime.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali showed his best performance in this important matchup, using a last-man defense to keep the rampaging Lions at bay.
It was clearly overlooked that captain Wilfred Ndidi missed the most important game due to suspension as the Eagles’ midfield was dominated by the North Africans.
Raphael Onyedika, who replaced Ndidi as Club Brugge’s star player, had a nightmarish but very peaceful night to remember. He stumbled in the match, which he personally ranks as one of his worst ever, and should have made fans forget about Ndidi.
His yellow card was complete proof that he lost the match, and by being substituted at the end, he will take a huge responsibility for himself in a nightmarish game.
Iwobi’s creative ideas expanded further, but the Moroccans refused to leave him even a nanosecond of time to think and act. Even before the ball reached him, the searching foot of the Moroccan was lurking to deflect the round leather.
Alex Iwobi lost office staff in midfield, his touches were dangerously low, and there were few chances for killer passes to Osimhen and co. When he did, the Moroccan crowd happily thwarted the struggling Eagles’ repeated efforts to get back on their feet.
There was no supply to the offensive line, and the number of shots was incredibly low.
Victor Osimhen, like Ademola Lookman and Jerome Eikor Adams, fought aimlessly and broke through the determined Lions defence, but with few supplies they were forced to chase shadows.
The Eagles clearly relied on fast breaks and even quick counters, willing to cede control of the game to the Lions and doing whatever they could to give the Eagles an advantage. Their detailed plans were firmly supported by a well-organized Moroccan “air force.”
Bassey’s precise attacking spiced long ball was almost caught by Bright Ossai-Samuel and Akor, but the rampaging Lions made their efforts go to waste.
Lookman did not enjoy the rampant Moroccan raids, which depleted the Atalanta man’s creativity and Osimhen also suffered from it.
As the game went into overtime, the game remained in favor of the Eagles, with the Lions running wild, but Bassey and the defense did a good job of holding them back.
The hosts fought desperately to keep the match from going to a penalty shootout, with their body language suggesting they were at a disadvantage.
The Eagles kept the pressure machine running in hopes of winning the lottery, but it wasn’t to be.
When late substitute Samuel Chukwueze squandered a chance with a careless kick, the Moroccans breathed new life into the game by converting and restoring parity after a save from Nwabari first.
Bruno Onyemaechi, who forced top scorer Brahim Dias out of the game, put a stain on his excellent performance by firing a shot that hit keeper Bono in the hands.
The final kick was not saved by Nwabari, but they saved the hosts’ blushes and reached the final for the first time in 22 years.
IKENWA ASHIBUOGWU NNABUOGOR
