Morocco has set new standards for African football just over 12 months ago at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but now faces pressure to improve its modest record in the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Ivory Coast next Saturday.
Morocco, the first Arab and African country to reach the World Cup semi-finals with a captivating run that mesmerized the continent, is now expected to translate this brilliance into the Africa Cup of Nations—"CAN"—and erase its longstanding record of continental failure.
Out of the 24 teams in the tournament, Morocco's national squad is one of 12 that has previously won the title. However, its sole victory dates back almost half a century to 1976. The team, nicknamed the "Atlas Lions," has a long history of early exits contrary to expectations.
Coach Walid Regragui, in preparation for the tournament, stated, "It's true that the last World Cup gave us experience in major tournaments, but the reality for us is that the Africa Cup is always a complex championship." He added, "This isn't the first time Morocco enters the tournament as one of the favorites and amongst those likely to win the title, but unfortunately, we have not managed to consistently advance to the semifinals. This shows that experience in participating in tournaments is not a decisive factor guaranteeing us victory."
Challengers Facing Morocco
Multiple teams are eager to outshine Morocco, with prominent challengers including the host Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and the reigning champions Senegal.
Sadio Mane leads the Senegalese lineup, which, like Morocco, has outperformed Brazil in a friendly match last year, boasting a roster full of experience and talent.
Senegal rightfully won the last continental title in Cameroon, even though they needed penalty shootouts to triumph over Egypt in the final.
Ivory Coast, despite the often overwhelming pressure of home fans, is also expected to go far in the tournament. Interestingly, Egypt in 2006 was the last host nation to win the title, ironically also via penalty shootouts against Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast will face Guinea-Bissau in the opening game next Saturday within Group A.
Nigeria's lineup appears strong on paper, one of the best in its history for years, but its recent performance has not been impressive. Last November, Nigeria drew with modest Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers and also suffered a home defeat against Guinea-Bissau last year.
Egypt, led by its star Mohamed Salah, and Algeria, the 2019 champions, along with Morocco, spearhead the challenge from the Arab countries in North Africa, in addition to Tunisia, which has set a record with its 16th consecutive participation in the tournament.
Teams with previous titles such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Zambia could also cause upsets and deliver surprises.
The tournament will take place in six different stadiums, four of which were built specifically for the event, with intense focus on the pitch conditions that have negatively affected previous tournaments. Organizers have enlisted French experts to help ensure the quality of the playing surfaces.
The tournament was initially scheduled for June last year but was postponed by six months due to concerns over the West African rainy season, aligning it with the Middle of the European domestic league season, causing discontent among many coaches.
