UPDATE 1-Soccer-Argentina deservedly beat Morocco 1-0

CASABLANCA, Morocco, April 28 (Reuters) -- A Kily Gonzalez close-range shot gave Argentina a deserved 1-0 win over Morocco in a friendly international on Wednesday.

The Inter Milan player slammed the ball into the roof of the net in the 52nd minute after goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri had failed to control a shot by Hernan Crespo from inside the box.

The Argentines, who dominated most of the game thanks to their superior technique and delicate touch, almost made it 2-0 in the 84th minute when Lamyaghri fisted away a thunderous half volley by Juan Roman Riquelme.

Morocco, featuring most of the players that helped the team reach the African Nations Cup final in Tunisia in February, used the match to help them promote their bid to host the 2010 World Cup and as a build up ahead of 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

They displayed a solid game with winger Jawad Zairi often a menace with his dribbling but overall never posed a serious threat to Argentina, who were preparing for their South American 2006 World Cup qualifier away to Brazil in June.

Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa said the match had not felt like a friendly international and his side had been tested.

"By its rhythm this game was not really a friendly but rather like an official match," he said. "We made a few mistakes, especially in the second half."

Bielsa said he thought the game had probably heartened former captain Diego Maradona, who has been in a Buenos Aires clinic for the last 11 days with heart and lung problems and had wished the team well on Tuesday.

"It's difficult to talk about the feelings of a player like Maradona but I am sure he must have been filled with joy to see Argentina play against an African team, the number two team on the continent," said Bielsa.

Morocco coach Baddou Ezaki said the match had been useful for his side.

"The most important thing is that we played without any inferiority complex...in the second half we were perhaps a bit tired, we made a mistake and paid the price."

Morocco begin their 2006 World Cup qualifiers in June. They have been drawn in group five with Tunisia, Kenya, Guinea, Malawi and Botswana.

World governing body FIFA will make a decision on the 2010 hosts on May 15. Egypt, Libya, South Africa and Tunisia are the other countries vying to be the first African hosts of the tournament.

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