A 78th minute strike by Youssef El Arabi spared Morocco's blushes at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, salvaging a point against a very determined Cape Verde side, who took the lead in the game through Platini, to play out a 1-1 draw in an Africa Cup of Nations clash.
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With South Africa having beaten Angola 2-0 in the first of the double-header fixtures, the pressure was on Morocco, the favourites of the night, to take home a win in order to keep their hopes of finish top Group A alive.
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The nerves between both teams were visible from the starting whistle as each side gave away needless possession cheaply and it was surprisingly Cape Verde who enjoyed the better of play in the opening 20 minutes.
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It was a very unfeatured Moroccan display in which they were conceding reckless challenges across the park, one which saw Cape Verde line up a 23rd minute free-kick on the edge of the D.