Preview- Morocco vs. Togo

World Cup 2010 in South Africa is getting closer and closer and now it’s time to put up, or shut up. Sure, there are rounds of games still to come in October and November across the continent of Africa but by then it might be too late for some. Many teams that were expected to be favorites for South Africa are in the position of needing victories this weekend or the World Cup will be a faded dream. Two such teams are strugglers Cameroon and Morocco. Both have had rough starts and have their backs squarely up against the wall. If you would have asked me back in March before this final round of qualification began, who I thought would be leading the group and who would be last, I certainly wouldn’t have said Gabon and Cameroon respectively. In fact, I might have reversed that completely and put Cameroon as the front-runners. But, like every round of WC qualification, surprises abound. Gabon have reeled off two straight victories and find themselves comfortably in first, followed by my beloved Sparrowhawks, then Morocco, and bringing up the rear are the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

On Sunday in the capital city of Lome, there should be a party like atmosphere. After all, les Eperviers haven’t had a true home match in quite some time do to a ban by FIFA due to violence after a match against Mali back in 2007. I’m expecting the supporters to welcome their team back with enthusiasm hopefully providing a real home-field advantage. Togo will also be quite happy to welcome back their talismanic leader, Emmanuel Adebayor. The star forward missed the last match in Morocco due to yellow cards. Ade has gotten off to a great start with his new team Man City, scoring 3 goals in 3 games, all of those being game-winning goals. An in-form Adebayor is exactly what this Togo squad needs to keep their hopes of a second straight World Cup qualification alive.

The other thing that Togo (and Morocco for that matter) need is for group leaders Gabon to slip up. Gabon is on top of the group and still with a game in hand. A Togo victory won’t accomplish much if Gabon defeats Cameroon on Saturday. In a perfect world Gabon will finally falter and lose on Saturday and then on Sunday Togo will defend their home turf and send Morocco to a defeat that will all but end The Atlas Lions World Cup hopes. That would send Togo to the top of the group pending Gabon’s make-up game which will take place on Sep. 9 in Cameroon.

As far as team news goes, the biggest change will of course be having Adebayor back in the line-up. We also might see some new faces in Boussari Akimsola, who actually plays in Morocco, and Serge Gakpe, who is a former French junior international who is benefitting from a change in the FIFA nationality statutes. It will also be interesting to see who ends up between the pipes, long-time number one Kossi Agassa who led Togo to the World Cup in Germany or up and coming Kodjovi Obilale who has started 2 of the 3 games in this round of qualification. I’m going to guess Obilale, who has after all been in goal for the draw in Morocco and victory against Cameroon in Accra.

Prediction time
All things seem to be pointing to a positive result for Togo, which naturally of course makes me hesitant. However, I remember so well the feelings and emotions that I had during Togo’s qualification run to Germany and it seems like all that magic could be right on the doorstep again. That coupled with the struggles of Morocco in recent times is motivating me to pick Togo. I’ll go with 2-1 for les Eperviers with goals coming from Adebayor and Olufade. Here’s hoping anyways…

Here are the squad lists:
TOGO
Kossi Agassa (Istres), Dodo Obilale (Pontivy), Cedric Mensah (Free), Atsu Mawugbe (Maranatha), Mamah Gaffar (FC Sheriff), Assimiou Toure (Leverkusen), Serge Akakpo (Vaslui), Nibombe Dare (FC Timisoara), Boussari Akimsola (DH Jadida), Tamani Manima (Gomido), Mango Senah (Marseille), Euloge Ahodikpe (FC Lombard), Floyd Ayite (AS Nancy), Alaixys Romao (Grenoble), Senaya Junior (Dubai SC), Moustapha Salifou (Aston Villa), Hamilton (Sport Recife), Mani Sapol (Al Ittihad), Wome Dove (Maranatha),Razak Boukari (Lens), Thomas Dossevi (Nantes), Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City), Adekamni Olufade (Racing Gent), Kader Coubadja (Al Dharfa), Serge Gakpe (AS Monaco), Jonathan Ayite (Nimes), Kpatoubi Liyabi (ASKO de Kara)

MOROCCO
Karim Fegrouch (Wydad Casablanca), Nadir Lamyaghri (Wydad Casablanca), Khalid Askri (FAR Rabat), Jamal Alioui (FC Sion), Aissam El Adoua (Lens), Mehdi Amine El Moutaoui (Clerment Foot), Amine Erbati (Al Wahda), Hicham Mahdoufi (Olympique Khouribga), Abdessalam Ouaddou (Nancy), Mohamed Oulhaj (Raja Casablanca), Mbark Boussoufa (RC Anderlecht), Rachid Hamdani (Clermont Foot), Youssef Safri (Qatari), Adil Taarabt (QPR), Issam Raki (FAR), Mohammed Berrabeh (Wydad Casablanca) Jaouad Zairi (Olympiakos), Merouane Zemmama (Hibernian), Mustapha Allaoui (Guingamp), Abdessalam Benjelloun (Hibernian), Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux), Mounir El Hamdaoui (AZ Alkmaar), Youssef Hadji (Nancy)

It would be fun to do a live-blog of this game but unfortunately I will be at work and will have to tune on to the video on demand from myafricanfootball.com after work. Who knows, if I’m feeling up to it I might do a not-exactly-live blog of the game as I’m watching it.