Morocco vs South Africa: A rematch for the Atlas Lions

"Of course, when the coach is on the bench, he gives confidence and support to the players. We are a family and brothers among us, and the one who is on the field will do his duty, because the most important thing is to qualify," said Olympiacos striker Ayoub El Kaabi, who is delighted with the return of Walid Regragui on the bench after the cancellation of the sanctions imposed on him by CAF following his altercation with the captain of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) team, Chancel Mbemba, during the match between the two teams.

In the eyes of the Atlas Lions, the next match against South Africa in the round of 16 of the 2023 CAN Côte d’Ivoire will be difficult and different from their last defeat against the Banafa banafa in June 2023 during the qualifications. This time, they are determined to beat Hugo Broos’ men in order to reach the next round of the competition. "We are not thinking about our last defeat against South Africa, it is another competition and our goal is to qualify for the next round. We are seeking to win against the South African team and I will support the players whether I am on the field or on the bench," promises Moroccan striker Tarik Tissoudali.

"The next match is completely different from the previous one, we will be ready despite the difficulty of the task to obtain the qualification," adds Sofyan Amrabat. Ayoub El Kaabi reassures: "We continue our preparations for the important match against South Africa and we know what awaits us. We are aware of the responsibility that weighs on our shoulders in front of the Moroccan people. We will enter the match with confidence to obtain a positive result that will satisfy us and satisfy the Moroccans."

On Wednesday, Morocco secured first place in Group F by defeating Zambia (0-1), indirectly allowing Côte d’Ivoire to finish among the best third-placed teams. The Atlas Lions will challenge South Africa in the round of 16 of the CAN next Tuesday at 9 pm (Moroccan time) at the Laurent Pokou stadium in San Pedro.