With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on the horizon, Morocco’s national team head coach, Walid Regragui, is wasting no time in preparing his squad for a strong title challenge.

Morocco has been placed in Group A alongside Comoros, Mali, and Zambia ahead of the competition, which is set to be staged at their turf.

Regragui has reportedly urged the Moroccan Football Federation to arrange high-profile friendly matches against Africa’s top teams to make the most of their home advantage.

According to The Sun, Regragui has specifically requested matches against Nigeria’s Super Eagles and reigning AFCON champions Ivory Coast for friendly tests against the Moroccan team.

The Atlas Lions sees both teams, having contested the 2023 AFCON final, are seen as ideal opponents to test Morocco’s readiness for the tournament.

The coach believes that facing elite competition will help his team fine-tune their tactics, assess their squad depth, and prepare for the pressures of a major international tournament.

Talks between Morocco and Nigeria are expected to proceed smoothly, given the strong relationship between both football federations.

A prior friendly between their U20 teams was scheduled but later cancelled due to both teams being drawn in the same group at the U20 AFCON, OwnGoal Nigeria reports.

However, this renewed push for a senior-level match could materialise in the coming months.

Morocco’s last AFCON campaign ended in disappointment, as the Atlas Lions were eliminated in the Round of 16 following a 2-0 defeat to South Africa.

Despite their historic semi-final run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, their performance in Ivory Coast left much to be desired.

The upcoming friendlies are, therefore, seen as a critical step in their journey toward redemption, ensuring that they enter the 2025 tournament in peak condition.

With Morocco eager to reclaim its status as one of Africa’s dominant footballing nations, a clash with Nigeria’s Super Eagles could offer the perfect test.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that two foreign-based players will miss the final training camp for the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has relocated the camp from its previous location in Abuja to Katsina.

Nigeria secured qualification for the U-20 AFCON by defeating Niger Republic 3-1 in the 2024 WAFU B Championship held last October.

Bolton Wanderers' Dubem Eze and Ipswich Town’s have withdrawn from the Flying Eagles squad ahead of the U-20 AFCON.

Due to miscommunication, the prospective U-20 Nigeria players missed the two-match tour in Ivory Coast last week as Nigeria won one and lost one of the two games.

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Source: Legit.ng