Burkina Faso and Morocco met in their African Nations Championship Group B clash at Athlone Stadium.
Both sides were looking for their first win of the competition after Burkina Faso lost their opener to Uganda, while Morocco opened up with a draw against Zimbabwe.
It was looking like another defeat for Burkina Faso until Bassirou Ouedraogo fired in an 88th minute equaliser to cancel out Brahim El Bahri's opener after 50 seconds to earn a point for his side.
Read how all the action unfolded below.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the African Nations Championship Group B clash between Burkina Faso and Morocco.
Both of these sides are looking for their first win in the competition after failing to get three points in their group opening clashes, as Burkina Faso lost 2-1 to Uganda while Morocco drew 0-0 with Zimbabwe.
Uganda pushed their lead at the top of the group to three points of Morocco and four over Burkina Faso, so both these teams are playing catch up and will need a positive result to keep their hopes of qualifying for the next stage of the competition alive.
The team news has just been announced and we'll start with the Burkina Faso.
BURKINA FASO STARTING XI: Kabore, Gouo, Dayo, Kone, Traore, Kabore, Zoungrana, Traore, Sango, Tiendrebeogo, Quedraogo.
BURKINA FASO SUBS: Coulibaly, Yeye, Nebie, Bayala, Nemi, Sanou, Diarra, Barro, Kabore, Simpore, Demankel, Kobre.
MOROCCO STARTING XI: Lamyaghri, Oulhaj, Aberhoune, El Hachimi, Sassa, El Bahri, Abdessamad, Raki, Moutouali, Fettah, El Ouadi.
MOROCCO SUBS: Achchakir, Saidi, Chagou, Iajour, Hadraf, Askri, Al Asbahi, El Moubarki, El Karti, Krouch, Karrouchy, El Yousfi.
Quick look back as to how these two sides qualified for the tournament, as Morocco beat Tunisia in their North Zone qualification match, while Burkina Faso overcame Niger in their West Zone B clash.
The players are making their way out onto the pitch and we should be underway shortly.
We're underway in this Group B clash.
GOAL! Burkina Faso 0-1 Morocco (El Bahri)
WHAT A START! Morocco take the lead after 50 seconds after El Ouadi is played down the left and he find all sorts of space to lift a cross to the back post, where El Bahri is there unmarked and is able to find the net with a volleyed effort.
CHANCE! A chance for Burkina Faso to get level as Issouf Kabore capitalises on a lapse at the back by Aberhoune and he's fed the ball just outside the area and he unleashes a shot at goal, which goes just wide of the target.
Burkina Faso win a free kick down the right, which Gouo lifts into the penalty area and the ball isn't cleared by Oulhaj who heads the ball straight up in the air and that allows Zoungrana to head the ball at goal but his effort is tame and Lamyaghri gathers with ease.
Morocco raid forward and El Bahri guides the ball into the path of Raki who shoots from distance on his left foot, but his effort goes well over the bar. That had no chance of finding the net.
CHANCE! El Bahri almost gets his and his side's second of the game as he finds space behind the Faso defence, he takes a touch towards the middle of the box before rifling a shot at goal, but his effort is well saved by Kabore who makes the stop with his feet.
CHANCE! Morocco are in again this time down the right as Moutouali speeds past his man, he gets to the edge of the box before he cuts in on his left foot and fires a shot just wide of the target with Kabore scrambling.
Nearly another opening for Hassan Benaicha's side as Moutouali gets down the right and he powers a cross looking for El Bahri in the middle, Kabore comes for the ball and misses it completely but luckily for the keeper it falls at the feet of one of his defenders, who clears the danger.
CHANCE! Dayos should head his side level as Faso work a corner from the left and play it short, and Kabore lifts a pass over to Gouo who gets in behind and he crosses into the middle for the defender at the back post, but he can only head his effort over the bar. He should have at least tested the keeper there.
Burkina Faso are coming into this game slowly and had Fettah not been on the line to divert a looping header from Kone away, they may have been level but Lamyaghri had confidence that his defender would head the ball clear.
CHANCE! Again Burkina Faso should be level as a corner from the right comes in and Lamyaghri came for the ball and missed it completely leaving an empty net but Traore heads his effort wide of the post. How many chances do they need?
CHANCE! Morocco nearly get their second and it's far too easy for El Bahri to get in behind as a long ball over the top finds him in space, Kone manages to get back at him but the striker takes a touch and fires a left-footed shot at goal which goes just wide of the post from 18 yards. That was close.
Kabore does extremely well under pressure as a backpass to Gouo leaves the right back exposed and he's forced to go back to the keeper and El Bahri reads the pass but Kabore does a little bit of skill to get past the forward and fired Gouo in space.
Burkina Faso are dominating the game at the moment, they're pressuring Morocco high up the field and are not allowing them to get out of their own half. They continue to be susceptible to the ball over the top but that hasn't been a factor in the past few minutes. Lots of energy being shown by Paul Put's side.
OFF THE LINE! Moutouali gets to the byline and crosses the ball from the right, Kabore comes for the ball and drops it right into the path of El Ouadi, who fires a shot at goal but his effort is cleared off the line by Traore who sticks out a leg to keep the ball out. A great instinctive block.
CHANCE! Fettah finds space in the area and he shoots at goal after beating the challenge of Dayo but he fires an effort just over the bar.
Burkina Faso are continuing to show a lot of energy and quality with their passing before they get to the final third of the pitch, but when they do get in and around goal, they've been edgy and unable to test Lamyaghri.
There will be two minutes of added time.
CHANCE! Zoungrana goes close just before the break as Tiendrebeogo heads a long ball into his path on the edge of the box on the right side of the pitch and he makes a good connection but Lamyaghri is down quickly to his left to make the save at his near post.
Morocco are nearly in again as El Bahri finds space down the right, he bursts into the box but Kabore forces him wide, however, he has options in the middle if he can find them with a cross but he can't as Kone gets his foot to the ball and it lobs up into the hands of the keeper to stop the attack.
HALF-TIME: Burkina Faso 0-1 Morocco
What a first half that was. Morocco raced out to an early lead after 50 seconds as El Bahri fired past Kabore but after that it was end-to-end stuff, and neither side could add to the scoreline after 45 minutes despite having numerous chances.
Burkina Faso have come in with the gameplan to press the ball high up the pitch and to some degree it's working as they are seeing a lot of the ball in the Morocco half. The only downside is, they're leaving themselves very open at the back with a long ball over the top and if El Bahri had taken the other chances on offer, they could well be trailing by three goals instead of one.
The players are making their way back out onto the field and we should be underway shortly.
We're back underway in this Group B clash.
CHANCE! Traore is played behind the Morocco defence immediately and he bursts into the box and from a tight angle fires a shot at goal, which is well saved by Lamyaghri but the rebound falls back to the winger, but his first touch is poor and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
Burkina Faso are on the attack again as Quedraogo lifts a cross to the back post and El Hachimi does well under pressure from Traore to win the header and clear the danger.
Put's side work the ball well in the final third down the right side of the pitch, but when they try to lift a cross into the area for three players to attack, Traore's effort is blocked by the first man and then Gouo suffers the same fate.
CHANCE! Burkina Faso are nearly punished for their lack of potency in front of goal as El Ouadi gets the ball 18 yards from goal and fakes a shot to get past Dayo and then drills a low effort, but it goes wide of the target. That was a real chance for Morocco to put this game out of sight.
CHANCE! Another opportunity for Traore as Ouedraogo does extremely well down the left to put a ball in on the ground with pace to find him on the penalty spot, and he takes his shot first time but Aberhoune is there to make a crucial block to deny his goalbound effort.
The tempo of the game has slowed in the past few minutes, as Burkina Faso have dropped off their pressing game and are holding their lines in their own half. Fitness could have played a part in that as they expended a lot of energy in the first half.
Morocco work the ball down the right and find some space on the flank as Oulhaj drives onto the ball, he has teammates in support in the box but decides to shoot himself and his effort goes well over the bar from a tight angle. Not the best decision there.
Lamyaghri is forced to tip the ball over the bar as he can't corral a cross from the right from Traore but fortunately for the keeper, his side are able to clear the danger from the resulting corner with ease.
SHOT! Ouedraogo tries an effort from the edge of the area which was Lamyaghri scrambling across his goal, as the left-footed shot looked to be on target but it crept just wide of the post.
Burkina Faso are struggling to get anything going forward at the moment, there seems to be a lot of tired legs out on the field after their exertions of the first 60 minutes or so, and their tempo has dropped leaving them quite open at the back.
CHANCE! El Ouadi gets in behind the Burkina defence and he bears down on goal from a tight angle, he gets forced wide but has El Bahri in support in the middle and all he has to do is pick him out but he fires the ball straight into the hands of Kabore.
Burkina Faso win a free kick down the left and Traore takes it but it's cleared by the first man, but Sango puts the ball back into the mix of players jut outside the area, and Kabore takes a swing at the ball but his effort is tame and falls into the hands of Lamyaghri.
Morocco are doing a good job of closing out this game, they should have had it sealed ages but they've kept it alive due to their missed opportunities, however, they're keeping possession in the Burkina Faso side of the field and taking time off the clock.
GOAL! Burkina Faso 1-1 Morocco (Quedraogo)
Burkina Faso get their goal as Quedraogo finds the net from close range after he latched onto Sango's pinpoint cross inside the box and he met the ball first time to volley past Lamyaghri on his left foot. They deserve that for their efforts this evening and Morocco have been punished for their lack of clinical edge in front of goal.
There will be three minutes of added time.
CHANCE! Sango comes within inches of costing his side the game as El Hachimi hits a cross from the right and Kabore comes for the ball and misses it again, the ball then hits off the legs of the full back and bounces towards the net, but luckily for the Sango it goes inches wide of the post. That was close!
FULL-TIME: Burkina Faso 1-1 Morocco
Burkina Faso snatch a late leveller as Quedraogo strikes in the 88th minute to punish Morocco for their lack of potency in front of goal and handed Paul Put's side a chance to get something out of the game, after El Bahri handed them the lead in the first minute.
Morocco draw their second-straight game in Group B and earn their second point of qualifying which leaves them tied with Zimbabwe and will give them a chance to progress to the next stage of the competition if they can beat Uganda. If they don't Zimbabwe or Burkina Faso can advance pending the outcome of their game.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. We'll be back tomorrow with all the action from Group C. Until then, goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
