Casablanca – Morocco enters the 2026 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations with three consecutive titles behind them and the expectations of a home crowd firmly on their shoulders, but captain Soufiane El Mesrar says the team is determined to approach the tournament without relying on its past success.
The Atlas Lions are in the final days of preparation before opening their campaign against Algeria on October 12. Zambia and Libya complete Group A, while the tournament will run until October 21. Morocco are chasing a fourth consecutive African crown after their triumphs in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
“The preparations are going very well. Coach Hicham Dguig is putting the final touches in place, and the group is united and understands the scale of the responsibility,” El Mesrar told Morocco World News (MWN).
Home advantage brings expectation, but El Mesrar does not believe this edition requires a completely different approach from the previous three.
“The preparations are similar to those for previous Africa Cups,” he said. “We know that every edition will be harder than the one before it, but we are aware of that and we will play this one as though it were our first.”
That mentality is particularly important for a team that now enters the tournament as the continent’s benchmark rather than a challenger.
“We are the defending champions and we have to protect the title, especially because we are playing in front of our supporters,” he added.
Coach Dguig is preparing ‘surprises’
Morocco began the final phase of their preparations at the Mohammed VI Football Complex this week. The FRMF said Dguig’s work during the camp has focused on technical and physical preparation as well as cohesion within the group.
El Mesrar said the preparation has gone further, with the coaching staff working across the physical, tactical and mental sides of the tournament.
“Coach Hicham has focused on the tactical, mental and physical aspects because, if we reach the final, we will have played five matches,” he said.
The captain also revealed that Morocco have worked on specific tactical ideas that could appear later in the competition.
“We have prepared very well, especially tactically. We have prepared things to surprise our opponents in the later matches.”
The mental side has received equal attention. A tournament compressed into 10 days demands more than technical quality, according to El Mesrar.
“The mental aspect is also important, especially when you are talking about an Africa Cup played over 10 days. You have to be ready.”
Morocco’s dominant recent record does not mean El Mesrar expects an easy path. He pointed to the progress of several potential rivals and said the rest of the continent will arrive with its own ambitions.
“All the teams will come looking to win and to defend their countries, and that can create difficulties,” he said. “We are aware of that.”
El Mesrar singled out Egypt, Angola and Libya. Egypt have prepared through high-level friendlies, while he described Angola as a consistently difficult opponent for Morocco in African competition and mentionedLibya’s experience.
The two biggest historical winners of the competition are Morocco and Egypt, with three titles each. Morocco’s fourth crown would therefore move them alone to the top of the tournament’s all-time standings.
First match sets the tone
Before any potential meeting with the continent’s other heavyweights, Morocco must navigate a group that begins with Algeria. El Mesrar sees the opening match as particularly important, regardless of the opponent.
“The first match is always extremely important,” he said.
A victory, he explained, gives a team greater control over the rest of the group phase, particularly when managing accumulated cards and player fatigue during a short tournament.
Morocco then face Zambia on October 14 and Libya on October 16. All three group matches will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Hall in Rabat. The Atlas Lions also enter the competition with a global reputation that is very different from the one they carried into their first African title a decade ago.
They have reached the quarterfinals of the last two FIFA Futsal World Cups and currently sit sixth in the world. El Mesrar, however, does not see the ranking as protection against what can happen during AFCON.
“Yes, our world ranking is good, but that does not guarantee that we will win the cup easily,” he said. “When you play a competition like this, you have to show that level on the pitch.”
“The players understand that. A ranking means nothing if we are not prepared in every aspect.”
‘You have to stay hungry’
El Mesrar has been part of Morocco’s rise through multiple tournament cycles, but the possibility of a fourth consecutive African title has not reduced his appetite for another.
“At the highest level, and in sport generally, you have to stay hungry,” he said.
“I will enter this Africa Cup and play it as though it were my first with the national team. Why not make it a fourth? We hope for the best.”
Morocco’s current group combines players who have experienced previous title runs with newer faces trying to establish themselves in the national setup. El Mesrar believes that blend can work in Morocco’s favor.
“We hope the mix between the experienced players and the younger players will allow us to produce our best Africa Cup.”
The captain described the atmosphere inside the squad as one of the team’s strengths.
“We are a family because we have played together for a long time,” he said. “There are new players who have managed to prove themselves in the latest friendly matches, and we are one group.”
El Mesrar directed his final message at the supporters Morocco will play in front of throughout the tournament.
“I hope the Moroccan public will come in large numbers and support us as always,” he said. “We promise them that the Africa Cup will stay in Morocco.”
