Morocco and Nigeria, who meet in a Group D tie on Tuesday, will be using the 2004 African Nations Cup to relaunch their international status following a steady decline in fortunes.
The two countries have enjoyed their day in the sun — Morocco won the 1976 Nations Cup and went on to do Africa proud at the 1986 World Cup while two-time African kings Nigeria won a historic Olympic gold eight years ago.
However, while Nigeria’s Super Eagles have managed to stay in touch with the cream of African football, the Atlas Lions have wobbled from one major set-back to another.
At the last Nations Cup in Mali, they failed to reach the knockout stage, just as they had failed to do at the previous tournament jointly hosted by Nigeria and Ghana.
Under their latest coach, former international goalkeeper Badou Ezaki, Morocco hope to use Tunisia 2004 as a springboard to qualifying for the 2006 World Cup eight years after their last appearance.
Ezaki has been shopping for foreign-based Moroccans to reinforce his team at the expense of home grown talent. This has clearly upset the local media who believe that several players from CAF Cup champions Raja Casablanca deserve to be given a chance in the team he is rebuilding.
The Lions have compiled a respectable record under the one-time African Footballer of the Year — ten victories, two draws and two losses; 23 goals for and five against and unbeaten in their last five games.
”We are looking good. We are a young team who need all the support we can get,” said Ezaki, whose future with the team was once in doubt after former Paris St Germain handler Luiz Fernandez was linked with the post.
Morocco boast of experience in skipper Noureddine Naybet (33) who is set to join the 100-cap club and 32-year-old goalkeeper Khalid Fouhami, who features for Academica Coimbra in Portugal and has been called back from international retirement.
The squad has youth too, in the shape of 20-year-old Bordeaux striker Maroune Chamakh, Jaoud Zairi (21) from Sochaux and 22-year-old midfielder Houcine Kharja, who plays for Italian outfit Ternana.
Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu meanwhile admits he will not be worrying about the opposition. He said his game plan is to concentrate fully on his own charges.
”I’m not really worrying about how Morocco will play. Instead I prefer to fully prepare my team for the task at hand. If they wish, they can worry about us,” he said.
But Chukwu will not lose sight of the importance of the match in his ambition to ”bring the cup back home”.
”It is very important that we start with a win. The objective is to book our ticket for the quarter-final after our first two matches so that the pressure will be very much reduced,” said the former international skipper, who was part of the coaching staff
when the Eagles truimphed here ten years ago.
Only four players remain from the Super Eagles side that convincingly dismissed the Moroccans 2-0 in Lagos four years ago — Garba Lawal, Nwankwo Kanu, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha and Julius Agahahowa, who marked his senior international with one of the goals. – Sapa-AFP