Morocco and Regragui under Fire as Afcon Quarter-Finals Loom
Defending champions Côte d'Ivoire have completed the highest-powered set of quarter-finalists in Cup of Nations history, with seven out of eight teams boasting previous championships. This impressive haul has been further amplified by the fact that these teams collectively boast 22 Cups of Nations titles between them.
The tournament has seen a surprising lack of drama thus far, apart from Ghana's failed qualification and Mali's narrow victories over Tunisia and Cameroon. As the giants are set to clash in the quarter-finals, expectations have grown for an exciting payoff.
In the quarter-finals, Côte d'Ivoire will face Egypt, a team they haven't beaten since 1990. This Ivorian side may not boast the same level of star power as their 2006 final opponents but is instead notable for its coherence and talented players like Amad Diallo, who scored against Burkina Faso and set up Evann Guessand's second goal.
Egypt, on the other hand, has struggled to integrate key players Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. Despite this, Algeria are looking to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to DR Congo in the last round of matches, with a 119th-minute victory courtesy of Adil Boulbina in the 2019 final.
In contrast, Nigeria boasts one of Africa's most talented attacking lines but has looked shaky defensively. Under coach Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria have been more flexible and intelligent, capable of stifling opponents like Mozambique.
Morocco, meanwhile, are under pressure to deliver a strong performance given their status as hosts and favorites. Coach Walid Regragui is facing scrutiny over his team's lackluster displays so far in the tournament. This has raised concerns about Morocco's readiness for the World Cup 2030, which they will co-host.
Despite being favored to win against Cameroon, who are looking to put their football on display without expectations and with newfound resolve under coach David Pagou, Regragui's cautious approach may not be enough to overcome his opponents. As the Afcon quarter-finals draw near, all eyes will be on Morocco as they seek to silence their critics once and for all.
Defending champions Côte d'Ivoire have completed the highest-powered set of quarter-finalists in Cup of Nations history, with seven out of eight teams boasting previous championships. This impressive haul has been further amplified by the fact that these teams collectively boast 22 Cups of Nations titles between them.
The tournament has seen a surprising lack of drama thus far, apart from Ghana's failed qualification and Mali's narrow victories over Tunisia and Cameroon. As the giants are set to clash in the quarter-finals, expectations have grown for an exciting payoff.
In the quarter-finals, Côte d'Ivoire will face Egypt, a team they haven't beaten since 1990. This Ivorian side may not boast the same level of star power as their 2006 final opponents but is instead notable for its coherence and talented players like Amad Diallo, who scored against Burkina Faso and set up Evann Guessand's second goal.
Egypt, on the other hand, has struggled to integrate key players Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush. Despite this, Algeria are looking to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to DR Congo in the last round of matches, with a 119th-minute victory courtesy of Adil Boulbina in the 2019 final.
In contrast, Nigeria boasts one of Africa's most talented attacking lines but has looked shaky defensively. Under coach Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria have been more flexible and intelligent, capable of stifling opponents like Mozambique.
Morocco, meanwhile, are under pressure to deliver a strong performance given their status as hosts and favorites. Coach Walid Regragui is facing scrutiny over his team's lackluster displays so far in the tournament. This has raised concerns about Morocco's readiness for the World Cup 2030, which they will co-host.
Despite being favored to win against Cameroon, who are looking to put their football on display without expectations and with newfound resolve under coach David Pagou, Regragui's cautious approach may not be enough to overcome his opponents. As the Afcon quarter-finals draw near, all eyes will be on Morocco as they seek to silence their critics once and for all.
coach regragui should give it more gas since its africa cup of nations and not world cup 2030 yet 
they gotta prove they can handle big stage matches without freaking out or playing safe all the time 
also nigeria looks super suspect defensively, cant trust them to keep it clean in qf's 
Algeria might have bounced back from a loss in 2019 but let's be real, they're still not as good as DR Congo right now. 
And Morocco? They can't even get their squad together without looking like a mess. I mean, I'm no coach but Regragui needs to step up his game if he wants to silence the critics. 
The Ivorians are looking solid though, they might just be the ones to take down Egypt. Can't wait for the quarter-finals 
. Regragui's tactics are actually being overplayed, he's trying to be too cautious and it's not really paying off. The team's got some talented players like Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, and I think they can still pull off an upset or two. Cameroon's gonna give 'em a run for their money, and if Morocco can just get a few more goals, they might just make it through 
. I mean, they're already under pressure from being hosts and favorites, and now they have to perform in the quarter-finals. Regragui's team hasn't exactly been impressing so far, and if he keeps playing it safe, they might not be able to overcome their opponents.
. They've got a talented attacking line, but defense has been a bit of an issue for them. If they can get that sorted out, they could cause some problems for the other teams.
. Ivorian football has always been about being solid and coherent, and their players seem to be gelling well together. As for Egypt, it's tough when you've got big-name players but they just can't seem to get things going.
!
or else its all over 
also, can u believe cote d ivoire is favored to beat egypt lol 
did that happen in ur dreams? 
. And let's be real, their squad is pretty stacked! 
... Cameroon are definitely looking up to the challenge and could cause an upset if Morocco don't up their game 
...
! I mean, these teams are stacked, it's like a who's who of African football legends. And Morocco, oh boy... they gotta step up their game if they wanna prove themselves. Regragui's tactics have been called out before, and I think he needs to take some risks and trust his players more 
, but they need to tighten up that defense if they wanna make a deep run. And Egypt? Forget about it 
, those guys are like the underdogs in this tournament! Algeria's got game, though, and I'm loving their style of play 
. Can't wait to see what happens in these quarter-finals... should be some crazy matches 
. But at the same time, you gotta give credit where credit is due – they've still managed to win some tough matches, like against Tunisia 
.
. nigeria's attacking line is so fire but they need to work on their defense ASAP 
! But I gotta say, I'm a bit worried about them going up against Egypt - those two teams have a history that's gonna be super intense 
. Morocco though... I don't know if they're ready for this level of scrutiny yet 
. Regragui needs to get his team firing on all cylinders ASAP or else it's gonna be tough for them to silence their critics 