Cape Verde and Morocco serve up entertaining draw

Cape Verde's Luis Platini (left) runs for the ball against Morocco's Oussama Assaidi during their Africa Cup of Nations match in Durban on Wednesday (January 23 2013). The match ended 1-1. Picture: Rogan Ward/Reuters

Luis Platini was the star of Cape Verde as he scored his country’s first-ever goal in the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Platini, the villain in the opening match against Bafana Bafana on Saturday after he missed a sitter, made amends against Morocco when he scored before half-time.

But Morocco had their own hero in Youssef El Arabi, who came off the bench to score the equaliser to make sure the Atlas Lions still have a chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals.

The teams produced a scintillating performance which saw them share the spoils after playing to a 1-1 draw in their second game of the tournament.

The result means both countries have two points from two games and will have to win their last group match on Sunday if they are to progress to the quarterfinals.

This game could have gone either way as both sides dished out entertaining football, particularly towards the end of the game.

The teams kept supporters on the their toes in the last 10 minutes as they searched for a winner but it was not to be.

Cape Verde were the better side in the first half as they played an enterprising brand of football, unlike in their opener against Bafana. They attacked relentlessly and their efforts paid off when Platini put them ahead in the 36th minute.

The goal seemed to spur them on as they continued to press on in attack looking for an insurance goal.

Instead it was Morocco who snatched the late equaliser through El Arabi with 12 minutes remaining on the clock.

From then it was end-to-end stuff as both teams tried to grab the three points but in the end a draw was a fair result.

Group A will now go down to the wire on Sunday as all four teams have a lot to play for with none of them guaranteed a place in the last eight of the tournament yet. All of them need a victory to ensure progression to the quarterfinals.

South Africa will take on Morocco at Moses Mabhida while Angola and Cape Verde meet at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Both games kick off at 7pm.