2024-04-20 16:06:09
To the delight of millions of supporters, Mohamed Dellah Yaly scored the winning goal in the 37th minute against the Greens, which earned the Mourabitounes a best third place, with two teams less well ranked than her, the Côte of Ivory and Ghana.
After two defeats against Burkina Faso and Angola at the end of the first two days of the group stage, Amir Abdou’s men pulled themselves together, showing solidarity and perseverance against their Algerian opponents, who came out of the small door, following this defeat.
“What happened is extraordinary”, it is with these words that the Mauritanian coach Amir Abdou described the historic feat of his team which reaches the round of 16 for the first time in its history, explaining that the Mauritanian collective “ managed to achieve a good result.
According to Mr. Abdou, one of the keys to the match was “the strength of character, the desire that the players showed on the field”, adding that “the group questioned itself”, correcting the “shortcomings of the first two matches.
As soon as the referee whistled the end of the match, the main streets of Nouakchott and the streets of several towns in Mauritania were filled with Mauritanian supporters who came out in large numbers to celebrate this historic qualification and the great play of their team.
For its part, the Mauritanian press was unanimous in welcoming the performances of the national eleven against strong opponents, during this continental competition marked by tough competition and a high level of the participating teams.
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani also welcomed, in a message on his X account (former tweeter), this victory, and the qualification of the Mourabitoune for the first time, to the 8th finals of the African Cup of Nations.
“This victory is the result of a collective effort and a great patriotic spirit. Continue, all the people are with you,” wrote the Mauritanian head of state.
Mauritania will face Cape Verde in the quarter-final of the CAN, which will shine more of the spotlight on this young and persevering team, confirming the relevance of the efforts made for the emergence of Mauritanian football on the African scene.
2024-04-20 16:06:09