This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-CAF
In one year to the day, the 35th CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations will kick off in Morocco. This is a highly anticipated meeting in a country which will host the tournament 37 years after the last edition organized in 1988 and won by Cameroon.
All 24 nations qualified for this great African meeting will try to give everything to register or re-register their name on the list. CAFonline offers you a selection of five selections to follow particularly during this meeting.
Ivory Coast
Crowned in February at home after an epic scenario, the Elephants will have everything to prove in Morocco. The Emerse Fae gang will have to demonstrate that their success at the last CAN was not the effect of providence or the law of domicile. Having just been elected best coach of the year at the CAF Awards, the technician will definitely be able to convince the informed public with his ability to perform over time. The performances recorded during the qualifiers for this Moroccan CAN were not the most dazzling, with only a second place achieved in group G, behind a surprising Zambia, leader of the group. A decline in performance confirmed by the drop of seven places recorded in the last FIFA ranking of the year which places the Elephants in 46th position, including sixth place in Africa.
Benign
Benin is making its comeback in the CAF TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations after missing the two previous editions. The Cheetahs finished narrowly second in Group D behind Nigeria with eight points and a better goal difference over third-placed Rwanda. Quarter-finalist during its last participation in Egypt in 2019, with a sensational elimination of Morocco in the round of 16, the West African selection perhaps owes this return to the electro-shock created by the arrival on its bench sideline of the experienced Gernot Rohr, the Franco-German technician having previously managed the selection of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
Angola
After their remarkable performances at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 where it took a great Nigeria to knock them out at the quarter-final stage with a narrow 1-0 victory, Angola remained on their feet. good start in the qualifiers for the next edition of the competition planned in Morocco. The Palancras Negras finished the campaign at the top of Group F, a group they shared with Sudan, Niger and Ghana, with 14 points and zero defeats recorded in six outings. The jump of 32 places made in the last FIFA ranking of the year reflects this good state of form of the Portuguese-speaking country.
For this tenth participation in the biggest event in African football, Pedro Gonçalves and his team seem to have the weapons to finally break the glass ceiling by reaching the quarter-final stage, their best performance achieved so far in the tournament. (2008, 2010, 2023).
Morocco
Semi-finalist of the last World Cup in Qatar, Morocco did not hold its place during the CAF TotalEnergies CAN contested at the start of the year in Ivory Coast. The Atlas Lions were eliminated by South Africa in the round of 16. But by making a perfect copy during the qualifying campaign for the next CAN which they host in a year at home (six victories out of six in group B), Walid Regragui and his foals proved that the Ivorian debacle was not than an accident. In addition to a high-quality squad, Morocco should also surf on the law of home to seek a second crown in the competition, 50 years after the only coronation won in 1976 in Ethiopia.
Tanzania
Tanzania created a surprise by outclassing Guinea, a big CAN regular in Group H to win one of the two qualifying places for the CAN CAF TotalEnergies Maroc 2025. Second with 10 points behind the DRC (12 points), the Taifa Stars will play their fourth CAF TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations with the ambition of finally getting through at least the first round. The Tanzanian team offered a great sensation by beating Syli National back and forth during the qualifying phase. Hemed Morocco and his men will be able to achieve other exploits during this highly anticipated meeting.
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