Morocco seeks to end decades of African trophy drought

Morocco coach Walid Regragui was just five months and 20 days old when the country won the African Cup of Nations for the only time in 1976.

In the second and last tournament decided by a mini-league, Morocco snatched a late 1-1 draw with Guinea to finish first in Ethiopia.

As Moroccans celebrated conquering Africa then, few could have imagined that 48 years later the Atlas Lions would still be seeking a second title, given the country is a continental football powerhouse.

The closest they have come to a second triumph was in 2004 when Regragui was the right-back in a team beaten 2-1 by hosts Tunisia in the final. But while the Cup of Nations has been an endless tale of disappointments, Morocco soared to dizzy heights at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first African and Arab semi-finalists.

'Stunning World Cup'

Given little chance of surviving a group including Belgium and Croatia, they not only did so but eliminated Spain and Portugal before falling to France in the semi-finals.

"What we did at the World Cup was unbelievable. We put Africa on the world map," said the 48-year-old born in a southern Paris suburb.

After the stunning World Cup showing, the pressure on Morocco to achieve further glory has intensified with some pundits labelling them "red-hot favourites" to win the 2024 Cup of Nations.

They will face two former champions, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, and outsiders Tanzania in Group F in the Ivory Coast, where the tournament kicks off on Saturday.