Adli and Hakimi record asissts for Morocco in 3-0 AFCON opening romp
Current Leverkusen attacker Amine Adli and former Borussia Dortmund star Achraf Hakimi both registered assists for their native country of Morocco in a 3-0 victory over Tanzania on Wednesday evening.
Only one of German football's two Moroccan representatives attending the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations featured for Walid Regragui's Atlas Lions in the country's tournament opener on Wednesday night. FC Bayern München fullback Noussair Mazraoui remained out of the match-day squad with injury. Leverkusen "super sub" Amine Adli - as he's often managed for his club team this season - nevertheless managed to come off the bench a positively affect the match.
The Moroccans squared off against the East African nation of Tanzania, against whom they began as heavy favorites. Regragui's men still struggled to exert dominance after taking the lead via a Hakim Ziyech free-kick. More goals would not come until the Taifa Stars were reduced to ten men in the 70th minute after Novatus Miroshi was sent off on double yellows in the 70th. Adli - introduced shortly after the sending off - set up Azzedine Ounahi's 2-0 in the 77th.
Former Dortmund star Achraf Hakimi assisted on Youssef En-Nesyri's 2-0 four minutes later. Adli himself also got an effort on target off during a lively 29-minute-shift in which he garnered 18 touches, completed seven passes, and went one two long dribbles. The former French youth international now has another scorer point to add to his first national team goal, scored in October. Since switching his allegiance last April, the 23-year-old has made a strong case in six international caps.