Morocco at The 2004 Summer Olympics - Football

Football

The Moroccan team qualified for the Olympics after getting a go-ahead penalty goal in their final qualifying match against Angola. The three over-23 players named by coach Mustapha Madih were Nadir Lamyaghri, Otmane El Assas and Bouchaib El Moubarki. Seven of the team played club football in Morocco, and five in France, with Raja Casablanca the most represented team.

Morocco managed to earn four points from their three matches, but were unable to qualify, losing out on goals scored to Costa Rica. Their tournament opened with a nil-nil draw with the Costa Ricans, which they followed with a 2-1 loss to Portugal, having trailed two-nil before they snatched back a late consolation goal. In their final match, they faced an Iraqi team that had already qualified for the knockout round. They fell behind early, but seized back a goal on a penalty before pulling ahead with 13 minutes to play. However, they were unable to get the one additional goal that would have qualified them for the knockout stages, and were eliminated. The team's leading scorer was Bouabid Bouden of RC Lens, who scored two of Morocco's three goals.

Men's Competition:

• Team Roster

• Goalkeepers
  • Omar Charef
  • Nadir Lamyaghri
• Defenders
  • Jamal Alioui
  • Badr El Kaddouri
  • Elamine Erbate
  • Oussama Souaidy
  • Tajeddine Sami
  • Moncef Zerka
• Midfielders
  • Salaheddine Aqqal
  • Otmane El Assas
  • Yazid Kaissi
  • Azzeddine Ourahou
  • Merouane Zemmama
• Forwards
  • Mustapha Allaoui
  • Bouabid Bouden
  • Bouchaib El Moubarki
  • Farid Talhaoui
  • Mehdi Taouil

Morocco also had four alternate players, who were not counted as part of the official roster.

• Alternates

• Abdelouahad Abdessamad (defender)
• Jawad Akadar (forward)
• Youssef Boutarbouch (goalkeeper)
• Younes Zarouk (midfielder)

• Group D

• Drew with Costa Rica (0 - 0)
• Lost to Portugal (1 - 2) (Bouabid Bouden 85')
• Defeated Iraq (2 - 1) (Bouabid Bouden pen 69', Salaheddine Aqqal 77')

• 3rd in group, did not advance (4 points, 3 GF, 3 GA, 0 GD, T-10th overall)