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Abidjan (AFP) – Moroccan coach Walid Reglagui was five months and 20 days old when Morocco won their first African Cup of Nations in 1976.
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In the second and final tournament decided by the Mini League, Morocco snatched a late 1-1 draw with Guinea, leaving Ethiopia in first place.
At the time, when Moroccans were celebrating their conquest of Africa, it was hard to imagine that the Atlas Lions would still be chasing their second title 48 years later, given that the country is a continental football powerhouse. There were very few people.
The closest they came to winning a second title was in 2004, when Regulagui was a right-back in the team that lost 2-1 to hosts Tunisia in the final.
But after a saga of disappointment at the Nations Cup, Morocco soared to dizzying heights at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, becoming the first African and Arab to reach the semi-finals.
With little chance of survival in a group that included Belgium and Croatia, they not only survived, but eliminated Spain and Portugal before losing to France in the semi-finals.
“What we did at the World Cup was unbelievable. We put Africa on the world map,” said the 48-year-old, who was born in the southern suburbs of Paris.
After their impressive results at the World Cup, the pressure is on for more glory for Morocco, with some experts calling them the “top favorites” to win the 2024 Nations Cup.
The tournament opens on Saturday with Ivory Coast facing two teams in Group F, former champions Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, as well as outsiders Tanzania.
“The Curse of the Africa Cup”
Even if they qualify for the knockout stages, Morocco will have to clear four more hurdles to end what Coach Regulagui calls the “African Cup curse.”
The Atlas Lions have participated in the Nations Cup seven times in the past, but have never made it past the quarter-finals, suffering a crushing defeat to Benin in the last 16 in 2019.
Leguraghi does not support the “big favorite” route, telling reporters: “There are at least 10 teams that can win the Nations Cup.”
“We are not favorites. There are better teams than us on the continent. Many countries have improved since the World Cup in Qatar.
“Teams like Algeria, Egypt, Ivory Coast and Nigeria are among the favorites to win the World Cup, although they have not yet qualified for the World Cup.
“In the Nations Cup, any team can beat any other team. There are no easy groups. To win the Africa Cup, you have to be very strong.”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, a powerhouse that qualified for the World Cup a long time ago and were twice African champions, missed out on the tournament in 2022 before returning under French coach Sébastien Desabres.
Leopards, who could be Morocco’s biggest threat in the group, have an excellent defender in Chancel Mbemba and Premier League forward Yoan Ouissa from Brentford.
“We hope to at least reach the quarter-finals, but Morocco are definitely the favorites to lift the trophy,” Desabre said.
Zambia have struggled since defeating red-hot Ivory Coast on penalties in the 2012 final, failing to qualify for the last three tournaments.
“It’s a great achievement to be part of the group that got Zambia back to where they belong,” said Leicester City forward Patson Daka, who scored five goals in qualifying.
Tanzania, along with Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Mozambique and Namibia, who made it through the qualifiers, share the goal of winning the tournament for the first time.
© 2024 AFP
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