Rabat – Algeria’s football player Fares Chaibi commended Morocco’s football infrastructure ahead of the much-anticipated AFCON, which will kick off on Sunday.
Chaibi spoke to Reuters about his excitement for the largest tournament on the continent, saying the players will feel “almost at home.”
“Morocco has the same climate as Algeria, we won’t feel like strangers, we’ll almost be at home,” he said.
He also promised that his team will do everything to deliver a good performance during the tournament.
For Chaibi, Morocco has an excellent infrastructure, commending the country’s experience in organizing similar events.
He said Algeria’s team does not doubt the quality of the stadiums.
“I think all teams are happy to play in Morocco.”
The tournament will mark an opener by the host country and Comoros on Sunday in Rabat.
Moroccan players emphasized their readiness for the tournament, hoping to secure and keep the trophy at home.
“All the players are fit and focused to play in the AFCON, which will be held at home. Everything is going well, and the group is confident despite this big responsibility: representing Morocco and going to win the title,” Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou said recently.
Morocco will face Mali as its second opponent on January 26 at 9:00 p.m. and Zambia on January 29, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. as part of the Group Stage.
Brief analysis of Morocco in AFCON
Morocco World News s recently spoke to Daniel Kamenetzky, whose work focuses on analyzing and uncovering mechanical and biological causes behind sports performance problems.
The expert, who runs Spandrel Analytics, spoke to MWN about Hakimi’s recent injury and the Atlas Lions’ fitness for the tournament.
Hakimi sustained a serious injury in a match against Bayern Munich. The injury caused panic and frustration among Moroccans, who feared he would not be able to compete in the tournament.
Hakimi is now in a recovery phase, with the Atlas Lions showing improvement as he is also present in the training camp ahead of the African show.
Kamenetzky said Morocco is starting the competition with great chances because of Hakimi’s recent records, “great team cohesion and strategy created by his coach and the talented team.”
He warned, however, that the team is also coming with a number of players with recent serious injuries, including Hakimi.
He said the situation could be aggravated in a long and intense competition like the AFCON.
“So the risk of losing very important players and starting to lose competitiveness as a team is very significant,” the expert said, emphasizing that if players of an important caliber as Hakimi, get injured again, they could be ruled out of essential competitions like the upcoming World Cup.
“Tactically, Morocco’s aggressive style demands a lot from its players. Speed, intensity, and
constant pressing increase fatigue and coordinate stress. If the squad is not biomechanically
and conditionally optimized, their own style could become a risk factor,” he added.
