Africa/Foot : Atlas Lions in search of victory, rigorous preparation for AFCON 2023
The Atlas Lions, victorious in the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in Ethiopia and finalists in the 2004 edition in Tunisia, continue their training sessions at the ultra-modern Mohammed VI Football Complex in Maâmoura as part of preparations for the 34th edition of the CAN.
Considered one of the favorites for the 34th edition of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in men’s football, the Moroccan team will settle in San Pedro, southwest of Côte d’Ivoire, on January 7. The Atlas Lions will continue their training camp there in preparation for the continent’s most important football competition.
Although the CAN tends to have familiar winners, Morocco, a semi-finalist in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is rightfully one of the two teams to beat, alongside Senegal. This time, coach Walid Regragui and his team won’t benefit from the element of surprise.
To confirm their status, they will need to excel in an environment imposing a significant climatic challenge. Doubts were raised after the defeat in South Africa in June and the miraculous draw from Côte d’Ivoire in October. It’s worth noting that the Atlas Lions haven’t won the final since 1976.
According to official information from the Moroccan Football Federation, Walid Regragui’s team will play a preparatory match against the Sierra Leonean national team on January 11, replacing the originally scheduled match against Gambia on January 7.
Morocco will compete in Group F during the first round of the 2023 CAN, facing the DR Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania. The Moroccans arrive in Côte d’Ivoire with the status of the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a FIFA World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
