Morocco’s national team coach Walid Regragui is expecting the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AFCON), scheduled in Cote d’Ivoire, to be one of the most challenging tournaments so far, reported the CAF on Saturday.
Regragui, the tactician who led his team to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, expressed these sentiments following Thursday’s draw in Abidjan.
The Atlas Lions were placed in Group F alongside DR Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania, a somehow favorable draw in the 24-team competition.
“The next AFCON will be the toughest,” Regragui told the Moroccan Football Association in an interview on its official website. He pointed out that there are no weak teams or easy matches in this tournament.
The draw is taking place three months ahead of the tournament’s kickoff on January 13 next year.
Cote d’Ivoire will host the tournament across six venues, including two stadiums in Abidjan, along with newly constructed facilities in Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro, and Yamoussoukro.
As the tournament progresses, the top two teams from each of the six groups will advance to the knockout stage, along with the best four third-placed teams.
The grand finale of the tournament will take place at Abidjan’s Alassane Ouattara Stadium which can seat 65,000 spectators.