Rise of a Football God-Chapter 392: AFCON final; Morocco vs Nigeria [2]
Nigeria got the first counterattack, and it was the prelude.
Not the prelude to another Nigeria counterattack though, but the prelude to a flurry of counterattacks from both countries.
In just the 6th minute of the game, Sam set Victor Osimhen up, forcing a spectacular save out of Yassine Bono.
In response, 3 minutes later, Morocco also got its own counter-attacking chance, started by Achraf Hakimi and built on by Brahim Diaz.
On the right-hand side of the pitch where the Real Madrid and PSG players plied their trades, the Moroccan right back and right winger exchanged swift and short passes, cutting through Nigeria's midfield with it, and then…
Bam!
Brahim Diaz hit the final pass, sending it into space and then Achraf Hakimi hit the afterburners, chasing after the ball like he was Iida from My Hero Academia with his engine superpower.
The Moroccan right back ate space like they were not there, chasing after the ball, penetrating deep into Nigeria's half.
And then, when he caught up to the ball, calming it down, he looked into the box where his striker and another Moroccan player were already lurking.
Hakimi did not play the ball to them though, rather…
Bam!
He cut the pass back to Brahim Diaz who followed him all the way from midfield. And that pass… set Brahim Diaz loose!
BZZZ!
Ola Aina pounced, trying to arrive at the ball first but like a floating bird, Brahim Diaz arrived first, poking the ball with the tip of his left boot, taking it away from Ola Aina's outstretched leg.
That touch, set Brahim Diaz up.
Diaz went full Messi mode!
Nigerian players quickly reacted to his threat, closing him down, and that was when this winger went super Saiyan.
A body feint, a step over, a dribble to the left to open up space, a moment to calm down, and then a lethal curled shot with his left foot.
With this sequence, Brahim Diaz beat 3 Nigerian players like they were not there before curling a shot towards the top left corner.
"…!" The stadium froze.
Even time seemed to freeze…
But then, Nigeria's Stanley Nwabali mounted on Eagle's wings, jumping into the air like Superman as he floated after the ball!
Incredulously, under the watch of the whole world, Stanley Nwabali did the impossible, poking the almost perfect shot away from goal and out for a corner.
Thud!
When Stanley Nwabali fell down, he quickly scrambled back to his feet and confirming that it was a corner, with veins popping all over his neck, he jumped, planting his feet on the ground before pumping his fists passionately.
"COME ON!!!" He celebrated his save like it was a goal.
Not just him, a passionate Calvin Bassey and William Troost-Ekong joined in on the celebration, acknowledging the save that he just made.
The atmosphere was electric.
Morocco played their corner kick and Calvin Bassey rose highest, heading the ball away and saving Nigeria from a scare.
The game continued.
A few minutes later, another Moroccan counterattack came which was quickly followed by another lightning-fast Nigerian counterattack.
Both nations were buzzing in attack, eager to score and get the advantage.
In the end though, in those early stages of the game when their energy was so hot-blooded, a goal failed to materialize as both defenses and the goalkeepers performed at an elite level, shutting the attacking players down.
After 20 minutes, the intensity of the game reduced, the game becoming balanced as both sides could not afford continuing to play at such intensity.
After 20 minutes, the intensity lessened and 8 more minutes after that, in the 28th minute of this game, the deadlock was finally broken.
It was a Nigerian corner kick.
Ademola Lookman hit the ball, executing a perfect corner into the 18-yard box and as a scramble started, Calvin Bassey rose into the air like Ironman, catching the ball with a powerful header that finally beat Yassin Bono.
Finally!
BOOM!
The Grand Stade de Tanger erupted in chaos.
Nigerian fans screamed at the top of their lungs, celebrating, and the Nigerian players were not excluded either as Calvin Bassey ran towards the corner flag, pumping his fist all the while as he celebrated.
28 minutes, 0-1 to Nigeria.
Nigeria broke the deadlock but Morocco was not to be outdone.
After minutes of buzzing, trying their hardest to no avail for the equalizer, they finally got a befitting reward for their hard work.
A goal that came straight out of the top drawer.
It was Brahim Diaz with the ball, going on another of those crazy dribbles through the Nigerian defense, shrugging challenges off with his physicality, going on still and just as he was to shoot, William Troost-Ekong slid in aggressively.
Whoosh!
The Nigerian captain's tackle was aggressive but he got the ball just as Brahim Diaz entered the 18-yard box, sending the Real Madrid player to the ground even as he lost the ball, letting it roll backward.
All eyes followed the now loose ball…, who would get to it first?
Thud!
Familiar legs arrived first.
Lightning-quick legs, the legs of Achraf Hakimi!
In that short moment, Achraf Hakimi became Federico Valverde.
The Nigerian defense was still slightly sleepy, just reacting to his threat when without hesitation, Achraf Hakimi pounced on the ball, unleashing an outside the box missile shot reminiscing of Federico Valverde's bangers in the Real Madrid shirt.
POW!
The ball flew like a literal bullet!
Stanley Nwabali was given no time to rearrange his position. Instinctively, he jumped, pushing his hand after the ball but he was nowhere fast enough.
In a blur, the ball flew past him.
It was no technical shot towards the corner, the ball flew just past Nwabali's side but the lethal speed behind it was its power.
Stanley Nwabali could not stop the ball, it flew past him, and then…
…the net shook!
BOOM!
The Grand Stade de Tanger roared to life again.
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"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL…!!!" Moroccan fans roared at the top of their lungs, screaming, jumping, jubilating as they celebrated the goal.
Achraf Hakimi just came up clutch for his country!
