It is already on Monday that Group C will take action for the opening round of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021. The clash between Morocco and Ghana will be a kind of early final. Two giants of African football will be playing at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé.
Match Card
Date: 10 January 2022
Time: 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT)
Venue: Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo,Yaoundé
Group: C
Match: Morocco vs Ghana
Morocco’s Atlas Lions, with high-profile players, such as Achraf Hakimi and Sofiane Boufal, are among the favorites to counter their opponents. But Ghana, led by Thomas Partey and André Ayew, can easily complicate the Moroccans’ plans and even go on a promising streak.
Bosnian coach Valid Halilhodzic will lead Morocco in their 18th AFCON appearance, seeking to win their second title after having done so 46 years ago (1976).
This match will reveal something about the real ambitions of the two teams in this TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021. Atlas Lions emerge as a favorite, but attention to Ghana Black Stars, which are able to present themselves at an equally high level.
In turn, Ghana, four-time champion, is also touted as one of the powers of world football and also favorite for triumph. Despite having won the four titles, Ghana team has the most lost finals in the competition (5).
The Black Stars lost the finals of 1968, 1970, 1992, 2010 and 2015. The last great Ghanaian selection had the Ayew brothers, Former stars, such as Michael Essien, Asamoah Gyan and Anthony Yeboah did not raise the desired AFCON trophy, but the biggest of them, Abedi Pelé, won the last titlr for the Black Stars in 1982.
Photos @EnMaroc @TeamGhanaMen
What they said
Milovan Rajevac (Coach, Ghana)
“We will do our best. We have some casualties like our opponent, and we’ve been waiting for some of the players to recover in time and join the group. The players have shown passion and are willing to represent Ghana in the best way.
André Ayew (Captain, Ghana)
” We believe in the collective effort and commitment of each of us. We will have a difficult game and we have to be focused to ensure the triumph. I have tried to convey the experience to younger players by explaining to them the significance of this competition.”
Vahid Halilhodzic (Coach, Morocco)
“Unfortunately, we miss some players for reasons outside our will. We will continue to focus on preparation given that we will face a high-level opponent who deserves our respect. Our biggest goal is to win the trophy and that is why we have been working hard to do so. The players have shown a lot of commitment to the job and are determined to win the first game.”
Roman Sais (Captain, Morocco)
“The team is focused and determined to win the first game. We have to try to overcome the challenges we face with a positive attitude. As the oldest player in the team, I have tried to explain to the younger and those who play in Europe some important things about African football.”
Source: CAF