Morocco’s national football team, the Atlas Lions, will take on the Central African Republic this evening at Stade d’Honneur in the northeastern city of Oujda.
The Atlas Lions seek to maintain their lead and solidify their place at the top of Group B in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Match Preview:
Morocco heads into this weekend’s fixture in top form, having collected six points from its opening two matches. The North African powerhouse secured a 4-1 victory over Gabon and a hard-fought 1-0 win against Lesotho.
What gives Morocco an even greater advantage is the venue. Due to the Central African Republic’s stadiums being deemed unfit for international competition, next week’s “away” match will also be played in Oujda, effectively giving Morocco back-to-back home games.
Morocco has been on a tear recently, with four consecutive wins, 13 goals scored, and only one goal conceded during this run. Since its underwhelming performance at the last AFCON, Walid Regragui’s squad has been impressive at home, winning three of its last four matches.
The last time these two teams met, Morocco dominated, winning both encounters in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers. They remain unbeaten in five games against the Central African Republic.
Despite Morocco’s positive momentum, the team faced a significant setback ahead of the match. Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui was forced to withdraw from the squad due to health concerns.
Injuries have also ruled out key players Brahim Diaz and Hakim Ziyech from participation. However, young prospect Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal has earned his first national team call-up and could feature in the squad.
The Central African Republic enters this match poised for a breakthrough in its ninth AFCON qualifying campaign. The team, nicknamed “the Wild Beasts,” commenced its campaign with a 3-1 victory over Lesotho but stumbled in its subsequent match, losing 2-0 to Gabon.
The team’s forward Louis Mafouta, currently playing for Amiens, is expected to be the team’s leading goal threat, having scored five goals in his last three matches. He will likely pair up with Goduine Koyalipou, while Marseille’s Geoffrey Kondogbia will be tasked with controlling the midfield.
Lineups:
Morocco: Bounou; Abkar, Aznou, Aguerd, Boudlal, El Khannouss, Amrabat, Saibari, Ounahi, Ezzalzouli and En-Nesyri.
Central African Republic: Youfeigane, Gambor, Yoga, Ndobe, Tatolna, Baboula, Solet, Kondogbia, Namnganda, Koyalipou, and Mafouta.
Prediction:
With home-field advantage and dominant form, Morocco is expected to come out on top in this matchup. Central African Republic has shown improvement, but its defensive woes and poor away results make it hard to pick it over the Atlas Lions.