The Atlas Lions make history and advance to the Africa Cup of Nations final
The Atlas Lions make history and advance to the Africa Cup of Nations final
The Moroccan national team has written a new chapter in its football history, securing a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final for the second time, and the first time in 22 years, after a hard-fought and thrilling 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Nigeria. The match, a semi-final held Wednesday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, ended in a goalless draw after extra time, with a record crowd of over 65,000 spectators in attendance. With this victory, the Atlas Lions have broken one of the longest-standing curses that has plagued Moroccan football in the continental competition. They will now face Senegal in the final on Sunday, after the latter defeated Egypt 1-0. Meanwhile, Nigeria will play Egypt in the third-place match on Saturday. This qualification marks Morocco's second victory in an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final out of five appearances at this stage. Their first achievement came in the 2004 edition in Tunisia, when the national team eliminated Mali…