After three days spent at Mohammed VI football complex in Maâmora, theMorocco team set sail for FrancevilleWednesday, to play the match of the fifth day of qualifying for the 2025 African Cup of Nations. Opposed to GabonTHE Lions of the Atlas will cross swords with the second of group B, which has 7 points to its credit (two victories and a draw). The only defeat suffered by the Panthers during the qualifying round took place in Agadir last October. THE Morocco won with a score of 4-1, against a team which displayed great tenacity and which did not hesitate to leave its zone to provoke Yassine Bounou. Walid Regragui had also confided, just after the first leg, that this meeting had taken on the appearance of a “boxing match”.
This Friday at the Franceville stadium, the Lions of the Atlas will therefore find a vengeful opponent, who will give everything to win his ticket for the African Cup of Nations. The Panthers will be keen to win the three points of victory to get closer to Morocco at the top of the group B standings. The protégés of Walid Regraguithey are aiming for flawless results and hoping to achieve a fifth success in a row. The coach revealed his ambitions on Tuesday, during a press briefing held at Mohammed VI football complex : “We are on an offensive progression which we hope to see continue. The adversary will give everything, because he hopes to come to the CAN in Morocco. We will move, we will be in other conditions. It’s a time of year when there are a lot of injuries, players are overworked physically, but we always want to move forward and attack. We are going to go there with a good state of mind, to continue our winning streak.”
Even if Morocco is guaranteed to play the next CAN in its capacity as organizing country, Walid Regragui does not intend to give up anything to his opponents, starting with Gabon: “We have a duty to achieve results in each match we play. We are first in the group, we were keen to demonstrate that we deserved this qualification, even if we are automatically qualified… We still have two matches and we can always try new things.
Massina in the central hinge?
For the national coach, it is therefore necessary to extend the winning streak, while demonstrating efficiency in attack. The teammates of Azzedine Ounahi lead the way in Group B (12 points), with 14 goals scored and only one conceded. Moreover, the only opponent who was able to deceive the vigilance of Regragui’s defenders was Gabon. In the absence of Hakim Ziyech andElias Akhomachthe keys to offensive construction should be entrusted to Brahim Diazin addition toEliesse Ben Seghir or Abdessamad Ezzalzouli on the left corridor.
In defense, Regragui also insinuated thatAdam Massina could take its place in the central hinge, alongside Nayef Aguerd. Holder in Serie A with Torino, Massina could replace Jamal Harkasswho participated in the two clean sheets against the Central African Republic in October, but who still raised doubts with a few errors which almost hit the mark. The middle line should not experience any big surprises.
THE Lions of the Atlaswho completed three training sessions in Rabat before flying to Gabon, were to complete their preparation during a final session on Thursday in Franceville. All eyes will be on the two defense corridors on Friday, where activity Ashraf Hakimi et Noussaïr Mazraouitwo of the best full-backs in the world. Remember that the national selection should return to Morocco just after tonight’s match, to prepare for the next duel which will pit them against LesothoMonday in Oujda.
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