The TotalEnergies African Nations Cup Morocco 2024 is set to take place in Rabat from April 11 to April 21, 2024. The Kingdom aims to turn this sporting event into a grand celebration of its continent.
The Moroccan capital is ready to host the "mini CAN," the indoor soccer (futsal) version, which will bring together eight of Africa's top teams. Divided into two groups, with Morocco, Angola, Ghana, and Zambia in the first and Egypt, Libya, Namibia, and Mauritania in the second, the competition promises to be a spectacular show. And it's not just about football; Morocco is pulling out all the stops to offer the world one of the best editions of the competition, promise the organizers. For this occasion, the Kingdom has completely renovated the Prince Moulay Abdellah Hall and the IBN Yassine Hall, thus providing the best conditions for players to showcase their talent and for spectators to enjoy great moments of football and festivity.
Morocco is the favorite in the competition. The Atlas Lions aim to win their third consecutive trophy at home, after being crowned champions in South Africa in 2016 and at home in 2020.
Morocco's coach, Hicham Dguig, cautiously confirms this ambition in an interview with our colleagues from MAP.
How have the preparations for the national team gone in anticipation of the CAN?
The preparations for this continental event went very well, marked by enthusiasm, seriousness, and the ambition to perform well in the tournament, especially since we will be playing in front of our passionate Moroccan futsal fans who are eager for victory and more titles. This preparation period was an opportunity to calmly work on all technical and mental aspects in an environment provided by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.
You're entering this edition as the defending champions and the host country. How do you manage the pressure that this status brings, especially being the favorites for the title?
Playing at home and in front of our audience motivates us to defend our title. We will take advantage of playing in a world-class hall and in front of our passionate fans to clinch the third consecutive title. The pressure is normal in this case, and we are seasoned in such situations. Given that all components of national football are used to seeing a strong national team playing for the championship, we can only envision one scenario: the final victory.
The draw has placed the Moroccan team in Group A, with Angola, Ghana, and Zambia. How do you view the national team's chances in this group?
I think this group is tougher compared to Group B and includes experienced teams on both the continental and global stages. Angola is one of Africa's heavyweights and competed in the last World Cup. The same goes for Ghana, which has been a CAN finalist before, and Zambia, a two-time semi-finalist. Therefore, the national team must remain vigilant and bring their best game to advance.
How do you assess the level of the teams participating in this CAN?
These are currently the best teams in Africa, and their qualification is a testament to their excellent performance in the qualifiers and is well deserved given their level's progression. This edition will be highly competitive and exceptional.
On the challenge of retaining the title, do you feel you are ready to take it on?
The Moroccan team is ready to take on the challenge, but at the same time, we cannot consider ourselves the sole favorites. Other strong teams have made significant progress recently. Against Morocco, which enjoys a global reputation, they will be tough and uncompromising, especially since they are well aware of our players' level through the preparatory matches we play. Therefore, we are called to work even harder, change our tactical schemes, and diversify our gameplay to surprise our opponents.
