Lukman Mumuni
January 3, 2024 at 1:50 PM
- Morocco have opened camp in Rabat ahead of AFCON 2023
- The Atlas Lions have been labelled as favourites for AFCON
- Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup
Players of the Moroccan national team arrived in style to begin preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists travel to Ivory Coast as favourites to win the tournament following their incredible run in the past 12 months.
Coach Walid Regragui has named a 27-man squad for the competition, adding World Cup stars Yassine Bounou and Sofyan Amrabat to his final list.
Source: Twitter
In photos shared on social media, the players touched down in Rabat with a high sense of fashion as camping began in earnest.
The Atlas Lions are hoping to win the tournament for the first time since 1978.
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“What is important is the state of mind. We must go there with confidence to break the curse of the African Cup,” said Regragui as quoted by 13 Football.
“The more the African competitions progress, the further away we get from the date we won it, but that’s no reason to put pressure on yourself. We are going to go there to play our football, to give our best and above all to have no regrets,” he added.
Morocco have been drawn in Group F alongside DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania, as reported by the BBC.
Qualified nations announce AFCON squads
Earlier, Sports Brief reported that participating teams at the forthcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations are making final preparations ahead of the tournament, which starts on January 13.
Coaches have submitted their final squads for the showpiece and have chosen the players who will be heading to the tournament to represent their respective countries.
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South Africa will be without key striker, Lyle Foster, who was left out of the squad due to recent mental health struggles, while Ivory Coast will be without Wilfred Zaha.
Aristide Bance picks AFCON favourites
Sports Brief also reported that Burkina Faso legend Aristide Bance has named the two teams that will reach the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
The AFCON cult hero has not played since 2020 when he starred for Guinean outfit Horoya AC. Despite not officially announcing his retirement, he did not make the Burkina Faso team for the tournament.
Bance will be following the tournament with keen interest as Stallions of Burkina Faso eye a first-ever success at the competition.
