Morocco head coach Vahid Halilhodzic has admitted that Monday’s clash against Ghana’s Black Stars will be a difficult battle for the North Africans.
The Black Stars, four-time winners of the competition, open their 2021 AFCON campaign against the one-time winners in Yaounde at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo.
Ghana is a four-time champion of the competition though the last time the West Africans won the tournament is 40 years ago.
Morocco’s only success came in 1976 when they beat Guinea to the ultimate.
Ahead of the game, Bosnian head coach of the Atlas Lions, Vahid Halilhodzic has described the game as a difficult one for his side mainly because of the history and tradition behind Ghana.
The 69-year-old former Nantes star and Paris Saint-Germain player arrives at his third Africa Cup of Nations hoping Morocco can shed their underachievers’ tag and end a 46-year wait for a second title.
“Ghana is a team with a great history in African football. They have won the cup four times, the match against the Black Stars will certainly be difficult.” Halilhodzic said at a pre-match briefing.
“It is true that our history is not as rich as other teams, but this generation is motivated and determined to achieve a historic feat during this Africa Cup of Nations,” he added.