Atlas Lions look to confirm progression

by BackPageTXT

Friday Nov 13, 2015. 16:00

Morocco will be confident of securing passage to the next stage of 2018 World Cup qualification when they take on Equatorial Guinea in Bata on Sunday.

The return leg of the teams’ second round tie will be played at Estadio de Bata, with kick-off set for 17h00 CAT.

The Atlas Lions claimed a 2-0 win in the first leg in Agadir on Thursday, with Youssef El Arabi and Yacine Bammou scoring the goals.

That the North Africans won the game despite playing the second half with 10 men following the dismissal of Adil Karrouchi emphasises their dominance, though the defender will be missing for Sunday’s match due to suspension.

This puts Badou Ezzaki’s side firmly in control of the tie and will allow them to sit back in Bata and look to hit the hosts on the break.

For Nzalang Nacional, their hopes of reaching the next round now depend on them being able to mount a comeback in front of their own fans.

The demonstrated their strength at home by reaching the semifinals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as hosts, but this task is an even tougher one.

Equatorial Guinea will need the likes of captain Emilio Nsue and attacker Javier Balboa to be at their best if they are to overturn the deficit against Morocco.

Zambian official Janny Sikazwe will take charge of the game in Bata.