The arena at the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex in Rabat was expecting a celebration. It got one, though not without a few nerves along the way. On Wednesday, October 21, Morocco’s futsal team beat Angola 5-2 in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, claiming a fourth consecutive continental title. No African nation had ever put together such a run.
For more than a quarter of an hour, however, the Angolans made the hosts sweat. Disciplined and combative in every duel, they shut down the spaces and forced the Atlas Lions to stay patient. The lock finally gave way in the 17th minute, when Othmane Elidrissi unleashed a powerful strike. The joy was short-lived, as João Cambangula equalised within a minute. Then Youssef Jouad, later named player of the final, put Morocco back in front in the 19th minute, just before the break.
After the interval, Morocco took control. Idriss Raiss El Fenni, Ismail Amazal and then Bilal El Bekkali stretched the lead to 5-1, despite a string of crucial saves from Angolan goalkeeper Gomito, without whom the scoreline would have been far heavier. Anderson Fortes pulled one back two minutes from time.
The title crowns a flawless campaign. In the group stage, the Moroccans swept aside Algeria 4-0, Zambia 7-0 and Libya 6-0 without conceding a single goal. In the semi-final, Egypt met the same fate, thrashed 6-0 with Soufiane Charraoui scoring a hat-trick. For the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, this reign rests above all on long-term work and the stability of a technical staff built around Hicham Dguig for years.
For Angola, the disappointment is real but the overall record remains impressive. The Palancas Negras reached a second straight final after snatching their place against Algeria with a spectacular comeback (3-2). They also leave with the tournament’s top scorer award. Egypt rounded out the podium after inflicting a crushing 8-1 defeat on Algeria in the third-place match.
King Mohammed VI sent his congratulations to the players for a title won at the eighth edition of the competition. In Rabat, few were truly surprised. But as winning becomes routine, Morocco’s dominance raises a question for the rest of the continent: who, in the years ahead, will be able to challenge it?