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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/mikears3349 on 2024-01-11 15:38:39.
Group F
Match Schedule:
17 January 17:00 GMT : Morocco - Tanzania (Stade Laurent Pokou, San-Pédro)
17 January 20:00 GMT : DR Congo - Zambia (Stade Laurent Pokou, San-Pédro)
21 January 14:00 GMT : Morocco - DR Congo (Stade Laurent Pokou, San-Pédro)
21 January 17:00 GMT : Zambia - Tanzania (Stade Laurent Pokou, San-Pédro)
24 January 20:00 GMT : Tanzania - DR Congo (Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo)
24 January 20:00 GMT : Zambia - Morocco (Stade Laurent Pokou, San-Pédro)
Morocco
Credit to u/ __PM_ME_SOMETHING_
Nickname: أُسُودُ الأَطلَس (The Atlas Lions)
Association: Fédération Royale marocaine de footballl, FRMF
Best AFCON finish: Winners (1976)
Most caps: Noureddine Naybet (115)
Most goals: Ahmed Faras(36)
Captain: Romain Saïss
Coach:Walid Regragui
FIFA rank: 13
For Morocco, a glass ceiling has been shattered at the 2022 World Cup.
For the first time in history, an African nation has finished in the top 4 of the World Cup. After a historic semi-final, Morocco lost out to Croatia in the match for third place at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday December 17 (2-1).
Since 1930 and the first edition of the World Cup, 44 African teams have taken part in the final phase and 9 have reached the Round of 16. Of these, only three had reached the quarterfinals. But that was before the Moroccan epic in Qatar.
Given this impressive performance, additional pressure is now on Hoalid Regragui’s men to go as far as possible in the AFCON 2023, trying to bring the cup back home.
It should be noted that 11 players who were called up for the World Cup in Qatar were not called up for the African Cup. Today, Regragui is trying a new experiment with a mix of experienced players and talented, zesty youngsters to add some extra flavor to the team!
Predicted Starting 11 (4-1-4-1):
Yassine BOUNOU - Achraf HAKIMI, Romain SAÏSS, Nayef AGUERD, Yahya ATTIAT ALLAH - Sofian AMRABAT - Hakim ZIYECH, Ismael SAIBARI, Bilal EL KHANNOUSS, Sofian BOUFAL - Amine ADLI
Players to Watch:
Isamel SAIBARI (22, Midfielder, Winger):
Impressed by Saibari’s standout performance, Morocco’s head coach Hoalid Regragui has called up the young midfielder to join the Moroccan national team in this AFCON.
As he prepares to represent his country’s first team, football enthusiasts anticipate his contributions in the upcoming matches.
With his rapid progression from the U23 team to the senior squad, Saibari’s dedication and skillset promise an exciting addition for both PSV and the Moroccan national team.
The 22-year-old talent heavily contributed to the recent triumph of the U23 national team in the African Cup of Nations that was hosted in Morocco between June 24th and July 8th.
Bilal EL KHANNOUSS (19, Midfielder):
Bilal El Khannouss, who plays as a midfielder for Belgian club KRC Genk and was part of the Moroccan squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, has been nominated among the 100 young footballers contending for the prestigious Golden Boy 2023 trophy, awarded to the best player in Europe.
Right after the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Bilal El Khannouss was named Belgium’s Talent of the Year 2022 at the 69th edition of the Belgian Golden Boot award.
The 19-year-old talent is the 15th most promising young player in the world, according to the latest data from the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory.
Moreover, the French sports newspaper L’Equipe recently awarded the Moroccan player with 8th place in its top 30 best footballers under 20 for the past season.
Amine ADLI (23, Winger, Striker):
Adli’s early years in the youth academy of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) provided a solid foundation for his development. His technical prowess, vision on the field, and a keen eye for goal-scoring opportunities set him apart even in the highly competitive youth setup of one of Europe’s football giants.
However, it was with Toulouse FC that Adli truly announced himself to the footballing world. Making his professional debut in the iconic purple kit, Adli brought flair and creativity to the pitch. His ability to navigate through tight defenses, deliver precise passes, and find the back of the net showcased a maturity beyond his years.
With each match, Amine Adli continues to evolve with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, leaving an indelible mark on the football pitch. As he navigates the challenges and opportunities that come his way, football enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the chapters yet to be written in the exciting career of this promising talent.
DR Congo
Nickname: Les Leopards (The Leopards)
Association: Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association (FECOFA)
Best AFCON finish: Champions (1968, 1974)
Most caps: Issama Mpeko (81)
Most goals: Dieumerci Mbokani (22)
Captain: Chancel Mbemba
Coach: Sébastien Desabre
FIFA rank: 67
DR Congo is perhaps the African country with the biggest untapped potential, in terms of real life and in terms of football. Les Leopards have always been a competitive team on the continent but enjoyed their true heyday in the 60s and 70s, when they were known as Zaire. TP Mazembe and AS Vita are two giants of African club football and have produced an immense amount of talent, and when taking into account the DRC’s massive diaspora, there is an argument that the team is not even close to its true potential. Much of this can be attributed to the instability of the country and the corruption of the federation, as even by African standards, the instances of age cheating, false identity claims, forced callups and other mysterious acts of corruption are extensive and well documented when it comes to Fecofa. However, the new administration and the arrival of coach Sébastien Desabre in 2022 has been a new dawn of sorts. Acting as the coach and team manager, the Frenchman has been credited by current and former internationals for helping to bring ‘professionalism and organisation’, with several of the diaspora and some administrative absentees joining the project. Desabre is a popular man in Kinshasa, and there is a quiet optimism that the Congolese can make a statement in Ivory Coast.
Predicted starting 11 (4-2-3-1)
Lionel Mpasi - Gedeon Kalulu, Chancel Mbemba, Dylan Batubinsika, Arthur Masuaku - Charles Pickel, Samuel Moutoussamy - Théo Bongonda, Gaël Kakuta, Meschack Elia - Cédric Bakambu
Players to watch
Théo Bongonda (28, winger)
A talented winger who played for Belgium at U19 and U21 level, Bongonda has a Congolese father and declared for DR Congo in 2022. He has quickly established himself as a key player and a fan favourite, with the Congolese fans chanting ‘Theo Messi’ in the opening World Cup qualifier in Kinshasa against Mauritania (his performance pleasing the Congolese president as well). With extensive experience in the Belgian and Spanish top flights, Bongonda will be a crucial attacking weapons for Les Leopards, either as a starter or from the bench.
Chancel Mbemba (29, defender)
The former Anderlecht, Newcastle and Porto centreback who famously has 4 previously registered birthdays, Mbemba nevertheless is a class player and key to the Congolese team. Mbemba is now with French giants Marseille, where he is a crucial player and fan favorite for his defensive performances and goalscoring ability. Mbemba is second only to TP Mazembe legend Djo Issama Mpeko in terms of appearances for Les Leopards, having been a regular for his country for over a decade, and his experience will be crucial for a mostly internationally inexperienced back line.
Cédric Bakambu (32, striker)
“Bakagoal” is still going strong, and is set to lead his compatriots into his third African Cup of Nations. After a difficult spell at Marseille following his repatriation from China, Bakambu took the Greek league by storm with Olympiacos, before joining Galatasaray’s Champions League project this season. Bakambu has struggled for gametime in Turkey but has scored a decent amount of goals off the bench, and still looks sharp with the national team, which he had initially decided to retire from following the 2022 World Cup playoff loss to Morocco citing his frustrations with the administration. Bakambu was convinced to return by Desabre for the crucial AFCON qualifying matches in March against Mauritania, and his devotion and commitment will make him a key player once again for Les Leopards.
Predicted finish
If DR Congo can bring their resurgence from qualification into the tournament, Les Leopards could enjoy a much improved outing from their previous AFCON showing (and non-showing). Finishing second in the group and making a quarterfinal run is very much achievable, and the opening match against Zambia will prove key in this group.
Zambia
Nickname: Chipolopolo (The Copper Bullets)
Association: Football Association of Zambia (FAZ)
Best AFCON finish: Champions (2012)
Most caps: Kennedy Mweene (122)
Most goals: Godfrey Chitalu (79)
Captain: Lubambo Musonda
Coach: Avram Grant
FIFA rank: 84
Zambia are one of the biggest football countries outside the traditional Northern and Western African powerhouses, with their true heyday coming in the 90s where they regularly made the semifinals of the AFCON. However, a plane crash in 1993 ahead of a World Cup qualifier tragically killed many of this generation, as all of the players and staff on board will not survive. In the early 2010s a new generation would avenge their forefathers, with Herve Renard …
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