Morocco showed their defensive solidity against Tanzania on matchday No. 1 of the Africa Cup of Nations, posting a clean sheet victory.
As one of the AFCON tournament’s favourites, manager Walid Regragui will hope the side can do it once more.
Découvrez les clichés exclusifs de notre première séance d'entraînement post-match. La préparation pour le prochain défi contre le Maroc est déjà en cours. 💪🔵#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 #RDC #RDcongo pic.twitter.com/xwTWTBzJAL— Compte Officiel de Léopards (@fecofa_kinshasa) January 19, 2024
Découvrez les clichés exclusifs de notre première séance d'entraînement post-match. La préparation pour le prochain défi contre le Maroc est déjà en cours. 💪🔵#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 #RDC #RDcongo pic.twitter.com/xwTWTBzJAL
DR Congo are up next for Morocco on matchday No. 2 in Group F. The Leopards picked up a point in their first match courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Zambia.
Brentford striker Yoane Wissa’s 27th-minute goal cancelled out Kings Kangwa’s earlier opener for Zambia.
As it stands, DR Congo will likely need a win from their remaining two games to have any hope of going through to the next round.
Morocco romped to a 3-0 win in their opening game, making them joint-top scorers at the end of the first round of group stage games.
The Atlas Lions were very impressive against Tanzania, as captain Romain Saiss, Azzedine Ounahi, and Youssef En-Nesyri all found the back of the net.
Since 2015, Morocco and DR Congo have played six times in all competitions. The Atlas Lions edged DR Congo with a record of 3W-2D-1L in their six meetings.
Four of the last five games between the teams saw under 2.5 goals scored.
Although Morocco racked up the goals in their first match, previous trends between these teams make it appear likely that Sunday’s match will be low scoring.
Morocco are in fine form ahead of this match. They won each of their last four matches in all competitions, defeating Liberia, Tanzania twice, and Sierra Leone. On paper, DR Congo will be a far more difficult opponent, however.
DR Congo aren’t in particularly good form ahead of the fixture. They failed to win any of their last four matches, drawing against Angola and Zambia, and losing to Sudan and Burkina Faso.
Although the Leopards do not have the talent that Morocco possess, they do have two exciting forwards.
Wissa scored the team’s lone goal against Zambia, and he should start against Morocco. Stuttgart’s Silas Mvumpa is another bright attacking player for DR Congo.
Morocco’s squad is packed with talent, including Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, and Hakim Ziyech. The quality in the side should give DR Congo plenty of difficulty in the final third.
Our algorithm predicts a 1-0 victory for Morocco. The team should build on their matchday 1-0 victory, but Morocco may have a little more difficulty getting a win over DR Congo. Based on previous trends, this game should feature under 2.5 goals.