Morocco’s Lions Sharpen Claws: AFCON Prep Raises Eyebrows

While the match is part of the preparation for the next Africa Cup of Nations, the choice of the opponent has raised questions, forcing the coach to make the final adjustments.

The Atlas Lions are facing Bahrain, a team that many observers consider irrelevant for preparing an African competition, due to its profile and FIFA ranking (80th). Faced with these criticisms, coach Walid Regragui has assumed a pragmatic choice. He explained that it was difficult to find an available renowned team and that Bahrain represented a "solid team" to work on the automatisms without risking a defeat that could affect the team’s momentum.

Beyond the result, this match is above all a tactical laboratory for the Moroccan staff. Less than three months before the 2025 AFCON, the objective is to experiment with new game systems, particularly the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 systems. The focus will be on pressing, quick transitions and the ability to break through compact defenses, a frequent scenario in African football.

For this match and the next one against Congo, Walid Regragui has called up an extended list of 27 players, including the AS FAR midfielder, Anas Bach, called in as reinforcement. The match will take place this Thursday, October 9 at 8:00 pm (9:00 pm in France) at the Moulay Abdellah complex in Rabat and will be broadcast live on the Arryadia and Al Aoula channels.

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