Morocco will attempt to carry over their strong start in the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying into an International Friendly against Chile on Friday with kickoff at 10 pm.
In September, Morocco comes into a pair of friendlies aiming to start their World Cup campaign on the right foot.
The Atlas Lions booked their spot in the global competition for a second consecutive time after reaching the group stage for the first time since the turn of the millennium in 2018. They cruised through their second-round qualifying group with six victories from six games, booking a two-legged tie with Congo in March with a place in Qatar on the line.
The away leg would finish in a 1-1 draw before Morocco took control on home soil, winning 4-1 on the night and sealing their advancement as Azzedine Ounahi hit a brace alongside goals from Tarik Tissoudali and Achraf Hakimi.
Meanwhile, Chile’s opponents in this summer’s Copa America will not be able to look forward to the World Cup, as they failed to qualify.
Three straight wins, twice beating Paraguay and once beating Venezuela, put La Roja in a strong position to take a top-five finish in South American qualifying. Still, they would suffer a major dip in form in the final run of fixtures and drop out of contention.
Morocco vs Chile Head to Head
Both sides are yet to face each other and this marks their previous encounters. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Jamaica 0-3 Morocco
- Liberia 0-2 Morocco
- Morocco 2-1 South Africa
- USA 3-0 Morocco
Away
- Ghana 0-0 Chile
- Chile 0-2 Tunisia
- South Korea 2-0 Chile
- Chile 0-2 Uruguay
Morocco Team News
Star man Achraf Hakimi will likely start on the right-hand side of the defence, keeping Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui out of the side as a result. At the same time, Ilias Chair hopes his positive start to the season for Queens Park Rangers earns him a starting place.
Chile Team News
Chilean players with over 130 caps, including Alexis Sanchez and Gary Medel, will play key roles in the midfield and defence. Sanchez is the nation’s all-time leading goal scorer with 48 goals, and Ben Brereton Diaz, who has played 15 times for Chile since switching allegiances from England, is expected to join him up front.
Prediction and Odds
Morocco may boast a slightly stronger and fresher squad than their opponents, who are already worn out from playing in Russia this summer.
- Morocco Win
- Correct Score: 2-1
- Both Teams to Score
