Morocco's lions sharpen their claws ahead of afcon 2025 on home soil

Morocco has strengthened its status as a top candidate for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will be held in the country next December. Even though they automatically qualified as the host, the Atlas Lions demonstrated their strong performance in the qualifiers, being the only team to earn a perfect 18 points.

This resurgence comes after a disappointing exit in the Round of 16 at AFCON 2023, following a historic fourth-place finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Under Walid Regragui, Morocco’s squad has undergone significant transformation, blending core veterans like Romain Saïss and Youssef En-Nesyri with rising stars such as Ibrahim Diaz, Abde Ezzalzouli, and Elias Ben Seghir.

Morocco’s recent qualifying matches have been outstanding, scoring 26 goals and allowing only two in six games, including impressive victories over Gabon (5-1) and Lesotho (7-0). With this combination of skill, the Atlas Lions seem ready to end their AFCON title drought, having last won the trophy in 1976.