Morocco set to take 2022 World Cup form to 2023 AFCON
Story by Anashe Murombedzi, Sports Reporter
FORMER African champions Morocco who are in Group F are one of the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations tournament that starts on Saturday in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, headline Group F alongside good sides Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia.
Morocco won the Premier African football competition once in 1976 before finishing as runners-up to Tunisia in 2004.
The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists are battling to end a 47-year drought without the trophy as the Atlas Lions have an array of European-based stars.
Two-time champions DRC have been in the African football wilderness for some time but will be hoping to clinch their third title since their 1974 victory.
The Leopards, who missed the previous tournament, won their qualification group and had Gabon, Sudan and Mauritania.
Their record since the turn of the century includes multiple group stage eliminations, a failure to qualify for three straight editions between 2008 and 2012, an embarrassing last-16 exit in 2019 to Madagascar and a failure to reach the tournament in Cameroon.
2012 champions Zambia look to upset the apple cart with their first appearance since 2015 after missing three straight AFCON tournaments.
After winning the tournament, the next edition saw a group-stage elimination and from then on, it was down the hill.
The Taifa Stars of Tanzania, who will be recording their third appearance at the AFCON having previously featured in the 1980 and 2019 editions, are hoping to go past the group stages for the first time.
