The hope of Africa in the 23rd edition of the World Cup lies in two teams: Morocco and Egypt. The two teams qualified from the Group stages to reach the Round of 16. While Morocco beat the Netherlands on penalties, scoring 3:2, Egypt beat Australia 4:2, also on penalties.
The Hope of Africa Kept Alive
Of the African teams remaining, only Morocco has played in the Round of 16 so far. Luckily for the Africans, Morocco beat Canada 3:0 and maintained the hope of Africa.
The Morocco versus Canada game took place on July 4 at Houston Stadium, Texas.
The two teams went into halftime without either scoring a goal. However, on resuming the game, Morocco rekindled the hope of Africa. The team’s midfielder, Azzedine Ounahi, managed to score 2 goals.
That African hope rose at the 50th minute when Ounahi scored the first goal against Canada. Ounahi amplified that hope when he scored the second goal at the 82nd minute.
Then Soufiane Rahimi underlined the win and cemented the hope when he scored in the 8th minute of stoppage time.
The Hope of Africa Lies in Morocco
For now, the African hope is in Morocco, the Atlas Lions. Having beaten Canada in the Round of 16, Morocco qualifies to play in the quarter-finals.
In fact, Morocco is scheduled to play against France this Thursday, July 9. The game is set to take place at Gillette Stadium in Boston at 20:00 GMT.
This means that African fans can watch the Morocco versus France game at 11 p.m. East African Time on Thursday.
The Hope of Africa Soars if Egypt Beats Argentina
While many people might place their bet on Argentina, it should not be surprising for Egypt to beat Argentina.
The game of Egypt versus Argentina is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, the 7th, at 16:00 GMT. Previously, Egypt has had some impressive games.
For example, the team drew 1:1 with the Netherlands during the 1990 World Cup. The team has also won the African Cup of Nations several times.
Journey to the Quarter-Finals
Irrespective of where the hope of Africa lies, tomorrow will give a better picture of the coming quarter-finals.
Morocco and Egypt might both feature in the quarters, or only Morocco will.