Rabat – There has been a mixed response regarding the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 (AFCON) tournament draw, but for Morocco’s legendary coach Ezzaki Badou, Ghana “remains the strongest” opponent in the group.
On August 17, during the tournament’s draw in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde, Morocco’s national team was placed in Group C, set to compete against Ghana, Comoros, and Gabon. The tournament, happening in Cameroon, is set to run from January 9, 2022 to February 6.
Group C, in which Morocco is competing, includes Ghana, the Comoros Islands, and Gabon. Morocco’s Atlas Lions will play its opening game against Ghana’s Black Stars on January 10, in the Tunisian capital.
Badou, more commonly known in Moroccoas Zaki, was a famous Moroccan footballer and manager, who has played and represented such clubs as AS Sale, Wydad AC, RCD Mallorca, and Fath Union Sport.
For the legendary player, “the draw matches are within reach,” considering the Atlas Lions’ performance history, reports Ghana Soccer Net.
“The Ghana national team remains the strongest of this group as they can create difficulties for the national team knowing that they are often present in the competitions of the Africa Cup of Nations,” he added.
Former Moroccan defender Al-Hussein Ochla – who represented Morocco at the 2006 iteration of the tournament in Egypt – does not seem to be troubled by this fixture.
“Ghana’s national team is no longer as strong as the previous one, and it is in the process of changing its skin, and it no longer has great stars, as was the case over the past years,” Ochla said following the draw, reports the same source.
As for the coach of Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars, he is thankful for the chance to have played a friendly game against Morocco, which they lost 1-0, back in June.
“I think we had a strong friendly with Morocco a few months ago and thank God they are in our group,” Akonnor told 3Sports, saying that “it gives us an idea of the opponent.”
He expressed gratitude to the Ghana FA for organizing the friendly games, adding that the team is now “preparing feverishly for this tournament and the coming matches in the world cup and I am sure we will be ready.”
