Held in check by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco wants to secure its first place in Group F. To do this, it must not lose against Zambia, in search of qualification for the rest of the CAN.
Qualified before even having to appear on the field. Morocco, with a victory and a draw in its bag, took advantage of the results in the other groups to punch its ticket for the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations (CAN). A formality for the semi-finalist of the last World Cup and among the favorites for the continental title, and above all good news as he advances towards this last group match escorted by a tense atmosphere.
Indeed, yesterday Tuesday, January 23, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ordered the opening of an investigation into the altercation that took place following the draw between Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo ( 1-1). Walid Regragui allegedly had words against Chancel Mbemba, which then caused the situation to escalate and lead to a scuffle. At a press conference, the Moroccan coach wanted to calm things down by indicating that if he had insulted the Olympique de Marseille defender, he had in no case made racist remarks towards him.
This clarification made, he switched to the sporting event against Zambia, much more important in order to maintain the good dynamic of his team and above all to ensure first place in Group F. Confident, he can count on a squad which has proven himself and even indicated that Mazaraoui could make his return to the group. Absent during the first two matches due to a calf injury, the Bayern Munich player is said to have recovered. If it seems unlikely that he will start, it is not impossible to imagine that his coach will give him a few minutes to be able to find the rhythm, with a view to the rest of the competition.
If Morocco finds itself in an ideal position, that of Zambia has the merit of being quite clear. A defeat and everything will end for the winner of the 2012 edition under the leadership of Hervé Renard. Twelve years later, the Chipolopolos dream of repeating the surprise of their glorious elders but for that, they must already extricate themselves from Group F. “We have nothing to lose, because we are playing against the best team in Africa. There is no doubt that Moroccans have incredible individual qualities. You have to show character and assert yourself,” Avram Grant told journalists yesterday. A character that his men demonstrated in particular during the previous match by managing to grab a draw even though they were trailing and played with 10 men for more than a half.
“It’s a very important match. It will be crucial for us after the draw against Tanzania (…) We know that Morocco is better than us, but it is not always the best who wins,” added the former coach of Chelsea, a club he took to the Champions League final in 2008. If the means are not the same, the man has high-level experience and knows how to lead a group. A threat to be taken seriously for Moroccans, determined to show that they are a reference on the continent.
The Group F match, counting for the 3rd day of the CAN, between Zambia and Morocco will take place from 9 p.m. (8 p.m. local time), at the Laurent-Pekou stadium, in San-Pédro.
The Group F match, counting for the 3rd day of the CAN, between Zambia and Morocco will be broadcast live and exclusively on beIN Sport 1.
The meeting between Lubambo Musonda’s Zambia and Achraf Hakimi’s Morocco will be available in streaming on the MyCanal platform.
Betclic: Zambia: 5.75 / Draw: 3.88 / Morocco: 1.52
Parions Sport: Zambia: 5.70 / Draw: 3.90 / Morocco: 1.54
Winamax: Zambia: 6.50 / Draw: 3.75 / Morocco: 1.56
Zambia: Mulenga – Chepeschi, Sunzu, F. Musonda, L. Musonda – Kapumbu – Sakala, Kangwa, E. Banda, L. Banda – Daka.
Maroc: Bounou – Hakimi, Aguerd, Saïss (cap.), Chibi – Amrabat, Amallah, Ounahi – Ziyech, Boufal, En-Nesyri.
