Former AFCON winning coach says Super Eagles caused Morocco to lose AFCON semi-final against Senegal

French football coach Claude Le Roy believes that the Super Eagles had a decisive influence on the AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal. 

The Teranga Lions triumphed against the Atlas Lions on Moroccan soil, despite Walid Regragui’s side entering the game as favourites. While Senegal won the tie on contentious circumstances, they were clearly the better side on the day.

Claude, who won the AFCON in 1988—interestingly also hosted by Morocco—beating Nigeria 1-0 in the final, said that the North African side were the best team in the contest. However, he noted that Senegal played better in the final.

The former Ghanaian national team coach theorised that Senegal were better in the final because Morocco players were exhausted after a gruelling semi-final against the Super Eagles, which was decided by penalties.

“The best team of this AFCON overall was Morocco, and the best team of the final was Senegal,” he told Canal+. “This win in the end shows that a better job was done.

“Maybe Morocco tried really hard in the semifinal match against a strong Nigeria team, especially during the penalty shootout, which took about two hours. That affected them a bit, but in the end, Senegal played better [in the final].”

Morocco and Nigeria played out a stiffly contested goalless draw in a semi-final clash in Rabat. The match was physical and combative, and both sides remained deadlocked after extra-time before the Atlas Lions won via penalties.