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Rabat – Head coach Walid Regragui said Morocco’s Atlas Lions should be vigilant during their round of 16 match against South Africa on Tuesday.
“We have no room for error, any mistake will eliminate us from the competition, and we will be out,” Regragui said, emphasizing that the Atlas Lions are ready for this “tough game.”
Morocco’s national team will face Bafana Bafana on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Moroccan time at the San Pedro stadium.
The Atlas Lions are facing a setback due to injuries among key football players like Sofiane Boufal.
In a pre-match conference today, Regragui confirmed that Boufal will miss tomorrow’s game due to his ankle injury.
He also confirmed the end of Boufal’s journey with the Atlas Lions throughout the AFCON finals.
With regards to Hakim Ziyech, Regragui said his technical team is working hard to ensure the player’s readiness for the game.
He said that they might take the risk to include him in Morocco’s lineup against South Africa if necessary.
Regragui added that the Atlas Lions have great respect for tomorrow’s rival. “We have great respect for the South Africa national team because they are the only team that has defeated us recently,” he said.
He added that Morocco respects all teams, stressing the need to show respect for the next opponent.
“The match is not easy, but very challenging,” he said.
In June last year, South Africa defeated Morocco 1-2 in a friendly game.
Predicting website Opta Analyst is expecting Morocco to emerge as a winner in the upcoming game with a 56.1% chance of qualifying for the next stage.
“When taking into account the possibility of the game being settled beyond 90 minutes, Morocco’s overall chance of progression is 67.8% according to the supercomputer,” the predicting website said.
Hugo Broos, South Africa’s head coach is also acknowledging the challenges awaiting his team on Tuesday.
He, however, has the confidence that Bafana Bafana can make another surprise in the AFCON.
“If we beat Morocco we have a big chance to play in the final, we will know we have beaten a very good team, and in the next round we will avoid a big team,” the Citizen quoted Broos as saying last week.
