Relief was etched on the face of Morocco coach Herve Renard as the final whistle blew after an unconvincing start by one of the competition favourites. Renard is the only coach to win the Cup of Nations with two countries, guiding outsiders Zambia and previous underachievers the Ivory Coast to success between 2012 and 2015. The second half was a replica of the first with Morocco pressing continuously and Namibia defending with discipline and intelligence. The French coach played his final card on 78 minutes, introducing Khalid Boutaib, a familiar figure to Egyptians as he plays for famed Cairo club Zamalek. Ivory Coast face South Africa Monday at the same stadium in a Group D showdown of former Cup of Nations winners.

Source: The Guardian June 23, 2019 17:03 UTC