HIBAPRESS – Sports
The Moroccan national football team achieved a distinctive record in the first round of the African Cup of Nations competitions, after topping the list of the strongest defensive lines in the tournament, contenting itself with receiving only one goal since the start of the competition.
The Moroccan national team came among only five teams that maintained a stable defensive level during this round, along with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Senegal, and Algeria, in a tournament characterized by a high attacking pace and the scoring of a large number of goals in most of its matches. In contrast, the Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Comoros national teams received two goals each, while Côte d'Ivoire and Angola conceded 3 goals, which reflects a clear disparity in defensive solidity among the participating teams. The nets of Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Benin were shaken on 4 occasions, while Gabon, Uganda, and Botswana were the most defensively affected, receiving 7 goals each, to leave the competition early from the group stage. These figures reinforce the position of the Moroccan national team as one of the most prominent candidates to compete for the continental title, considering that the decisive factor in major tournaments is often linked to the strength of the back line alongside offensive efficiency.
