Khaberni - The Moroccan national team is starting its journey in the African Nations Cup football finals, which it hosts on its land starting from 21 December, with high ambitions, trying to capitalize on the home advantage to continue its brilliant performance this time at the continental level.
Morocco became the first African team to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar 2022, making it a strong contender to win the title, which has been missing from its cabinet since it won the continental championship once in 1976 out of 19 appearances in the tournament.
Walid Regragui, the coach of the Moroccan team, has maintained the composition that achieved this milestone, headed by Achraf Hakimi, the winner of the African Player of the Year award, and Yassine Bounou, who won the Best African Goalkeeper award for the year 2025.
However, he has spiced up this lineup with some relatively new faces in various positions, including Mehdi Harar, Ismail Saibari, Osama Targalin, Nael Ainawi, Shamseddine Talbi, and Elias Ben Sghir in preparation for a mission he knows will not be easy even though it is on home soil.
In only 12 occasions has the host country won the tournament out of 34 editions, a feat achieved by Ivory Coast in the last edition nearly 18 years after the previous time the host country won the title.
Morocco plays in Group A, which includes Mali, Zambia, and the Comoros Islands, and the top two teams in each group qualify directly for the knockout stages, joined by the four best third-placed teams.
The confrontation with Mali appears to be the toughest physical test, with a well-organized and strong team in tackles, while Morocco must be wary of the speed of the Zambian team and its counterattacks, while the Comoros Islands team is expected to enter the match with high fighting spirit.
Particular attention is turned towards Hakimi, who enters the tournament as the best player in Africa and buoyed by a historic treble with Paris Saint-Germain last season. This individual title increases the responsibility on his shoulders to be the driving force leading the team towards the podium.
Hakimi is not just a fullback, but a playmaker from the right flank, and one of the key solutions for offensive plays thanks to his great understanding with his teammates and his experience in major tournaments with the French team. However, he is racing against time to recover from an ankle injury he suffered during Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last month.
Coach Regragui expressed optimism about Hakimi's ability to lead the team in the opening match of the tournament against the Comoros Islands in Rabat.
The Moroccan coach told French radio this month: "He is working hard since his injury and is doing what he needs to do. He is a dedicated player and wants to be present in the first game".
