RABAT: Africa Cup of Nations hosts Morocco have been warned against complacency ahead of their last-16 clash with underdogs Tanzania on Sunday, with head coach Walid Regragui stressing that overconfidence has derailed them in the past.
Morocco enter the knockout stage as the tournament’s highest-ranked side and overwhelming favourites, while Tanzania scraped through as one of the four best third-placed teams despite failing to win a single group match. Their two-point tally from Group C is the lowest ever for a team advancing to the last-16.
Regragui acknowledged the external pressure, noting that anything less than a convincing Moroccan victory is widely viewed as failure. However, he warned that such expectations can be dangerous. He reminded players and staff that Morocco’s long wait for continental glory — with their only AFCON title coming in 1976 — has often been prolonged by a lack of humility.
Citing recent tournaments where Morocco were eliminated by unfancied opponents, Regragui insisted his side must stay grounded. “We must not fall into that trap again,” he said, as the hosts aim to turn promise into progress without underestimating their resilient opponents.
