Morocco vs Tanzania Match Analysis & Prediction
17/01/2024 8:00 pm
One of the heavily-fancied Africa Cup of Nations favourites Morocco will kick off their campaign on Wednesday night when they face Tanzania at Stade Laurent Pokou.
Group F also features two-time champions Congo DR and 2012 winners Zambia, who will meet in the other match in this group at this venue directly after the completion of this game.
Morocco raised the bar for African football a little over a year ago at the 2022 World Cup, and the spotlight will now be on them to follow up in the continental competition, where they have a relatively disappointing track record.
After withdrawing from the 2022 African Nations Championship due to travel problems, Morocco were given a reality check last June, with two matches tempering the soaring euphoria of their World Cup semi-final achievement in Qatar.
The first was a goalless draw with Cape Verde, followed by a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in qualifying for this tournament, while a final wake-up call came after they were held to a 1-1 stalemate by the Ivory Coast in October.
Following that result, head coach Walid Regragui pointed out that he felt that his side were not the favourites to win the AFCON, but they won each of the three preceeding matches against Liberia (3-0), Tanzania (2-0) and Sierra Leone (3-1) last week.
The Atlas Lions have only lifted the AFCON trophy once in their history – back in 1976 – but with one of the most impressive lineups on paper, this feels like their moment, and they will be under immense pressure to make a statement against a favourable opponent in their opening match on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Tanzania enter this tournament ranked 31st among African footballing nations according to FIFA and are the biggest outsiders to qualify for the knockout stages from Group F.
Tanzania are set to make their third appearance in the AFCON, having previously participated in the 1980 and 2019 editions. Their last spell in the tournament saw them facing defeats in all three of their matches.
The Taifa Stars earned qualification for the AFCON by securing a heroic goalless draw against Algeria in their final qualification match, showcasing resilience and determination to frustrate their illustrous opponent and secure the crucial point needed for progressing while holding off Uganda and Niger in the process.
Since then, Adel Amrouche’s side have played four matches, which saw them manage one win over Niger (1-0) and a draw against Sudan (1-1), before suffering back-to-back defeats to Morocco and Egypt, both by a 2-0 scoreline.
Morocco vs. Tanzania Head to head
In the five previous meetings between these two teams, Morocco have claimed four victories while Tanzania have won one.
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09/10/2010Tanzania0Morocco1AFCON Qualification
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09/10/2011Morocco3Tanzania1AFCON Qualification
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24/03/2013Tanzania3Morocco1CAF World Cup Qualifiers
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08/06/2013Morocco2Tanzania1CAF World Cup Qualifiers
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21/11/2023Tanzania0Morocco2CAF World Cup Qualifiers
Morocco Team News
Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui carried an injury into the tournament and is a doubt to feature here, which should see Attiat Allah step in as his replacement at left-back.
Hakim Ziyech scored for Morocco against Tanzania in November and will be a key player in the midfield alongside Manchester United’s Sofyan Amrabat and Marseille’s Azzedine Ounahi.
Morocco's Last 5 Matches
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12/09/2023Morocco1Burkina Faso0Friendlies
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14/10/2023Cote d'Ivoire1Morocco1Friendlies
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17/10/2023Morocco3Liberia0AFCON Qualification
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21/11/2023Tanzania0Morocco2CAF World Cup Qualifiers
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11/01/2024Morocco3Sierra Leone1Friendlies
Tanzania Team News
Amrouche has called upon Haji Mnoga and Ben Starkie, who play in the English non-league with Aldershot Town and Ilkeston Town respectively, to represent the country at this year’s tournament, and are expected to start.
PAOK attacker Mbwana Samatta has been pinpointed as a potential key player for the Taifa Stars in the tournament. The striker has notched up two goals and two assists in 14 Greek Super League matches this season.
Tanzania's Last 5 Matches
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07/09/2023Algeria0Tanzania0AFCON Qualification
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15/10/2023Sudan1Tanzania1Friendlies
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18/11/2023Niger0Tanzania1CAF World Cup Qualifiers
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21/11/2023Tanzania0Morocco2CAF World Cup Qualifiers
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07/01/2024Egypt2Tanzania0Friendlies
Morocco vs. Tanzania: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
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