Why Morocco Is Under Pressure to Repeat World Cup Success at AFCON 2023

• Morocco have arrived in Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations
• The Atlas Lions have been tagged as favourites for the competition
• Morocco is paired in Group F with DR Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia

Morocco will be aiming to end its 48-year wait to win the Africa Cup of Nations when the tournament kicks off in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11.

The Atlas Lions were last crowned African champions in 1976, but their recent success at the 2022 FIFA World Cup has seen them tagged as favourites heading into this year’s competition.

Morocco became the first African nation to reach the semifinals of the World Cup, but head coach Walid Regragui believes that achievement does not guarantee that they will win the AFCON, Times Live reports.

“It’s true, the last World Cup finals has given us the experience of the big competitions, but for us, the reality is that the Cup of Nations is always a complicated tournament.

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“This is not the first time Morocco will arrive as favourites and a potential winner but, unfortunately, we have not managed to be regularly among the last four.”

Morocco became the first country outside the host nation to arrive in Ivory Coast for the 34th edition of the AFCON and will kick off their campaign against Tanzania on January 17.

Morocco are not AFCON favourites

Meanwhile, Morocco’s national football team captain, Romain Saiss, does not consider the Atlas Lions to be favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco World News reports.

Saiss highlighted that nations such as Senegal, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Cameroon, and Algeria are the teams with a better chance of winning the biennial tournament.

Morocco has made 19 appearances throughout the AFCON history but only clinched the trophy once in 1976.

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported Regragui wanted his players to break "the curse of the African Cup" as Morocco prepares to compete for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations championship.

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The North Africans have not won the continental competition in 47 years, but they are considered one of the favourites for the 2023 edition, which will take place in Ivory Coast.

Since winning the cup in 1976, the Atlas Lions have only advanced to the final once, in 2004, when host Tunisia defeated them.