Morocco held their nerve down the stretch to beat Northern Ireland 11-9 on Saturday and lift the team title at the IEPF World Eight Ball Pool Championships, ending a 12-year wait for a second world crown.
There was little daylight between the two sides for much of the race to 11, with neither able to put enough frames together to shake the other off.
Morocco finally found an opening in the closing exchanges.
With the title within touching distance, the hosts pulled away over the final games and closed out the contest 11-9.
It was their first world team title since Malta in 2014.
This one came in Marrakech, where national coach Yasser El Amrani’s side had Abderrahmane Ech-Chorfy, Ameur Riad and Oussama Masskini among their leading performers over the course of the tournament.
Ech-Chorfy still has work to do.
The Moroccan has made it through to the individual world final and will be back at the table on Sunday, September 27, with another title at stake.
The IEPF World Eight Ball Pool Championships, which began on September 17 and conclude on Sunday, have drawn nearly 300 players from 18 countries to Marrakech.
Competition is spread across 24 categories, with titles contested in team, individual, doubles and masters events.
Ech-Chorfy’s individual final will bring the 10-day championships to a close on Sunday.
