Overview
Morocco started the campaign quite impressively with 7 points after 3 matches in the group stage, and will aim for a quarter-final ticket when facing Tanzania.
The CAN champion team in 1976 was also in a similar situation at the 2024 tournament, but was eliminated by South Africa in this round with a 0-2 defeat. This time, the context was significantly different.
Walid Regragui's team plays at home, fueled by the passionate atmosphere in the stands. And as the FIFA Arab Cup champion, Atlas Lions has grounds to believe in a deeper journey.
Morocco is maintaining stable form, winning in 7/10 recent matches in all competitions during their official playing time, the remaining 3 matches ended in a draw. This series of results opens up clear opportunities for them to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2021.
The goal of the Atlas Lions is the second African championship in nearly half a century, but first, they must overcome the Tanzanian hurdles in the opening match of the knockout round.
On the Tanzanian side, this is considered their biggest challenge at this year's tournament. The journey to the round of 16 was not smooth when Perdana Stars advanced as one of the third-placed teams with the best results.
However, participating in the knockout round for the first time in 45 years has been a significant milestone, and the confrontation with Morocco brings them the opportunity to create more historical imprints.
However, Tanzania will have to solve a particularly difficult problem when they both face a superior opponent in terms of quality and have to bear pressure from Morocco's "fire pan" at home.
Head-to-head record also leans strongly towards Atlas Lions. Morocco has won 7 times in previous encounters, while Tanzania only had one victory, which took place in 2013.
Personnel situation
The most notable news of Morocco before the group stage final against Zambia is the possibility of the presence of Achraf Hakimi. PSG's right-back is not starting, but has been brought on to replace Noussair Mazraoui from the 64th minute. However, it is likely that Mazraoui will still hold a starting spot in the match against Tanzania.
In defense, Romain Saiss suffered a muscle injury right in the opening match and has not returned to play since then, leaving open the possibility of this center-back being able to participate in time.
In attack, Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos) is creating clear weight and is considered worthy of starting. This striker has scored in 3 consecutive matches, with a total of three goals.
On the Tanzanian side, coach Hemed Suleiman is likely to keep the same squad as used in the last group stage match against Tunisia.
Mbwana Samatta, although not scoring a goal at the tournament, is still expected to lead the attack, with the support of Simon Msuva, Faisal Salum and Haji Mnoga.
Expected lineup:
Bono, Salah-Eddine, El Yamiq, Aguerd, Mazraoui, Ounahi, Amrabat, El Aynaoui, Saibari, El Kaabi, Diaz.
Masalanga, Hussein, Hamad, Nwamnyeto, Job, Miroshi, Msanga, Msuva, Salum, Mnoga, Samatta.
The match between Morocco and Tanzania takes place at 11:00 PM on January 4 (Vietnam time).
