Morocco look to win the title for the primary time in 50 years after they tackle Sadio Mane’s Senegal. Photograph: AFP
RABAT:
The Africa Cup of Nations reaches its climax on Sunday with a closing showdown between the continent’s two main footballing powerhouses as hosts Morocco look to win the title for the primary time in 50 years after they tackle Sadio Mane’s Senegal.
The match kicks off at 1900 GMT on the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, the place virtually all the crowd of 69,000 will probably be backing a Morocco facet captained by African participant of the yr Achraf Hakimi.
The primary AFCON ever to start out in a single yr and finish in one other could possibly be the second in a row to be gained by the host nation, with the Atlas Lions aiming to comply with within the footsteps of Ivory Coast, topped champions in entrance of their very own followers in Abidjan in 2024.
Walid Regragui’s Morocco have established themselves in recent times as Africa’s pre-eminent nationwide group, changing into the primary from the continent to achieve a World Cup semi-final, in 2022, and climbing to eleventh place on the planet rankings, simply above Italy.
Nevertheless, they’ve lengthy been AFCON underachievers, with their solely title so far coming in 1976. This will probably be their first closing since 2004, after they misplaced to Tunisia with Regragui a part of the group.
Senegal, in the meantime, are showing of their third closing in 4 editions and are concentrating on a second title to comply with their 2022 triumph, when Mane scored the decisive penalty in a shoot-out win over Egypt in Yaounde.
“We dreamt of being right here and now we now have performed it,” Regragui instructed reporters within the Moroccan capital on Saturday.
He has been beneath suffocating stress to ship the title for the football-mad nation, and would maybe not have stored his job via to the approaching World Cup in North America had he not at the least taken the group this far.
“I hope that is only the start and never our final AFCON closing,” he added.
“Large soccer nations wish to be up there frequently. Tomorrow (Sunday) we wish to attempt to make historical past.”
He added: “Senegal will must be actually robust to beat us at residence, though they’re succesful.”
Morocco’s success over the past 4 weeks has been primarily based across the attacking inspiration of Actual Madrid winger Brahim Diaz, the event’s prime scorer with 5 objectives, in addition to a defence which has conceded solely as soon as — and {that a} penalty in a group-stage draw with Mali.
Safety considerations
Being at residence brings further stress, however may also be an enormous benefit, and Senegal have complained in regards to the circumstances by which they had been welcomed to Rabat forward of the sport.
The Lions of Teranga had been primarily based within the northern port metropolis of Tangiers in the course of the event earlier than arriving in Rabat by practice on Friday.
The Senegalese Soccer Federation complained in an announcement about “severe considerations” together with a “lack of enough safety” for the group’s arrival “which put the gamers and workers in danger”.
It additionally complained in regards to the resort supplied to the delegation, the truth that they got fewer than 3,000 tickets for his or her supporters for the ultimate, and about being supplied a coaching pitch on the Moroccan group’s base in close by Sale.
“What occurred was not regular,” stated Senegal coach Pape Thiaw.
“Given the quantity there, something may have occurred. My gamers may have been at risk.
“That sort of factor shouldn’t occur between two brother nations.”
Senegal’s star participant Mane, a two-time winner of the African participant of the yr prize, stated after netting the winner within the semi-final in opposition to Egypt that Sunday’s sport could be his final ever AFCON look.
Remarkably, Thiaw insisted on the eve of the sport that the previous Liverpool ahead could haven’t any alternative however to rethink that call.
“I believe he made his choice within the warmth of the second and the nation doesn’t agree, and I as coach of the nationwide group don’t agree,” stated Thiaw.
“We want to maintain him for so long as doable,” added the coach, who’s with out centre-back and captain Kalidou Koulibaly resulting from suspension.
