Morocco’s national football team, the Atlas Lions, will take on the Central African Republic (CAR) on Tuesday evening in their fourth group match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The match will commence at 8 p.m. GMT+1 at the Stade d’Honneur in Oujda, Morocco, given that local stadiums in the CAR have been deemed unfit for international play by the African Football Confederation and FIFA.
Current Standings and Background
Morocco has performed well thus far, leading Group B with a record of three wins out of three matches. The team secured nine points following victories against Gabon (4-1), Lesotho (1-0), and CAR (5-0) in the most recent match.
CAR ranks third in Group B after winning against Lesotho by a score of 3-1 and losing to Gabon and Morocco, 2-0 and 5-0, respectively. The team is required to deliver a robust performance to maintain its prospects of qualification.
Match Preview:
Morocco enters the match with an edge, scoring 13 goals and conceding only one. Azzedine Ounahi and Achraf Hakimi have led the midfield, contributing to both the team’s offensive and defensive prowess.
Morocco is facing a challenge with the absence of key players Noussair Mazraoui, Brahim Diaz, and Hakim Ziyech due to injury. Despite these losses, Morocco still has depth in the squad. The recent call-up of youngster Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal gives the coaching staff further options.
The CAR team will be looking to capitalize on any weaknesses in Morocco’s game.
Expectations:
With a home-field advantage and a solid record, Morocco is favored to secure another victory.
Morocco will look to build on a 5-0 win over the same opponents while CAR will need to tighten up the defensive line to evade a replay of last time’s result.