Since last lifting the Afcon trophy in Ethiopia in 1976, the Atlas Lions have rarely come close to repeating the feat. The former Manchester United player was a key part of the Morocco side who reached the semi-finals of the last Fifa World Cup in Qatar - the first African nation to go that deep at the tournament. For Moroccan football analyst Jalal Bounouar, the expectations are clear. "Morocco's primary and most immediate goal is to win Afcon," he told BBC Sport Africa. "That's the only [senior] title in the history of Moroccan football, so it's high time we went for it."

Source: BBC December 19, 2025 20:23 UTC