Morocco enters the 2024 CHAN shorts as one of the favoured teams to clinch their maiden title in the competition’s history. Coming off a dominant run in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, their domestic league stars bring cohesion, tactical discipline, and flair to the table.
The Atlas Lionesses,a nickname earned from their compact, well-structured defense have developed chemistry within a core group drawn primarily from top-flight Botola clubs like Wydad Casablanca, Raja, and FUS Rabat.
Head coach Hussein Amotta has engineered a system that blends resilience with attacking prowess. The backline, marshaled by centre-backs Aziz Bouhaddouz and Anas Zniti, is bolstered by full-backs Adel Taarabt Jr. and Soufiane Rahimi whose overlapping runs provide width when transitioning to offense.
Midfield control is handled by the industrious duo of Youssef El-Bekkali and Jawad El Yamiq, who act as the team’s engine room, dictating tempo and breaking opposition play with timely interceptions. Their ball distribution skills offer forward passes to the front three: Soufiane Boufal, Zakaria Aboukhlal, and Ayoub El Kaabi, whose earlier exploits in the AFCON qualifiers ensure Morocco’s attack remains fluid and unpredictable.
What sets Morocco apart is their balance they maintain a possession game while remaining deadly on the counter. Their road to CHAN success spans several trophies in the 2023–24 season, including the Botola Pro title and the Moroccan Throne Cup.
Their squad’s depth is remarkable, with full-backs like Achraf Hakimi Jr. and midfielders such as Amine Harit on standby, amplifying competitiveness and ensuring no drop in performance even with rotation.
Morocco’s psychological edge is equally notable. Their fans pack home stadiums, creating an atmosphere that becomes almost intangible for visiting teams. The squad’s mental preparation, underpinned by Amotta’s emphasis on unity and pride is a recurrent theme in pre-match briefings. They view the tournament as an opportunity to cement their standing as Africa’s emerging football superpower.
In their final group games, Morocco faced rivals Zambia, Uganda and Libya nations known for physicality and tactical flexibility. The matches tested Morocco’s squad depth, but they underlined their mettle with disciplined displays and clinical finishing. Morocco’s Dribbling success rate sat at 67%, and passing accuracy hovered above 85% stats matched only by few in the tournament.
As CHAN progresses toward the knockout rounds, Morocco remains unbeaten and undefeated defensively. Should their current journey hold, a maiden title triumph for the Atlas Lionesses would signal Morocco’s ascent in African football beyond the traditional AFCON and World Cup stages.
Written By Ian Maleve
