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AFCON 2023: Morocco Eager To Lift Africa Cup Of Nations’ Curse’

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AFCON 2023: Morocco Eager To Lift Africa Cup Of Nations’ Curse’

Morocco coach, Walid Regragui has declared his desire for his team to overcome “the curse of the African Cup” as he unveiled his 27-man squad for next month’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Morocco’s last triumph in the continental competition dates back 47 years, but with their recent achievement of reaching the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar last year, they have emerged as strong contenders to clinch the title in Ivory Coast.

The more African competitions take place, the further away we get from the date when we won it.

“But that’s no reason to put pressure on ourselves. We’re going to go there to play our football, to give it the maximum, and, above all, not to have regrets,” said Regragui.

Having secured the cup in 1976, Morocco has only advanced to the final once, which occurred in 2004, resulting in a loss to hosts Tunisia.

In the most recent edition held in Cameroon in 2022, Morocco faced defeat in the quarter-finals against Egypt.

Regragui said, “What is important is the state of mind.

“We must go there with complete confidence to overcome the curse of the African Cup.

Regragui has opted to maintain the core of his World Cup squad, which notably defeated Belgium, Spain, and Portugal before succumbing to a 2-0 loss against France in the semifinals. Key players like Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi, Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri, and Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat continue to be part of the team.

In an effort to strike a balance between the present and the future, Regragui has introduced emerging talents. Among them are PSV’s Ismael Saibari and Real Betis defender Chadi Riad, who clinched victory in this year’s Under-23 AFCON.

The Atlas Lions are slated to contend with DR Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia in the group stages as the tournament kicks off on January 13.

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EPL: Arsenal receive Partey injury boost

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EPL: Arsenal receive Partey injury boost

Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey is set to make a return from injury by the end of January.

Partey has made good progress in his rehabilitation work and will hand the Gunners a timely boost.

The Ghanaian has been plagued with different injuries throughout his time in England and picked up a groin problem at the beginning of the season.

He briefly returned to action in October, but picked up another long-term muscular injury.

Partey was then left out of Ghana’s final squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

However, The Mirror reports that the 30-year-old has shown progress in his rehabilitation work and could return to the first team ahead of their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest on January 30.

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EPL: Chelsea’s stance on sacking Pochettino revealed

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EPL: Chelsea’s stance on sacking Pochettino revealed

Chelsea’s stance on sacking their manager, Mauricio Pochettino has been revealed.

Pochettino is under significant pressure as head coach at Stamford Bridge due to the club’s not too impressive display this season.

The Argentine recently watched as Middlesbrough defeated the Blues 1-0 in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie.

His team currently sit in the 10th position on the Premier League table after 20 games this season.

However, according to The Telegraph, Pochettino’s job is safe for now despite their latest defeat to Middlesbrough.

The report added that his position at the west London club is not in jeopardy while Chelsea have a ‘realistic chance’ of qualifying for Europe.

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AFCON 2023: Harsh weather condition won’t be an excuse for Super Eagles – Peseiro

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AFCON 2023: Harsh weather condition won’t be an excuse for Super Eagles – Peseiro

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro has said his side can’t use the difficult weather condition in Abidjan as an excuse ahead of their opening game at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The West Africans arrived Abidjan in buoyant mood on Wednesday morning despite losing 2-0 to Guinea in a friendly two days earlier.

The Eagles had a light training session after setting down at their base, the magnificent Pullman Hotel.

Peseiro stated that his team must focus on the task ahead and not allow any form of distraction.

“We cannot give excuses about the weather; we need to put in our focus, adapt well and do our best ahead of the first match, which is very important for us,” he told NFF TV.

The Super Eagles will open their campaign at the 2023 AFCON finals against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.

They will also face hosts, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau in the group stage.

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