By Razeen Gutta
The Africa Cup of Nations has reached the last four stage and hosts Morocco are still fighting to take the trophy, with tough competition from Nigeria, Egypt and Senegal.
The hosts are Africa’s top-ranked team, and have been undefeated since their last-16 elimination in the 2023 edition of the competition.
They saw off Cameroon by two goals to nil to push-on into the penultimate stage.
Morocco’s chances are bolstered by the return of captain Achraf Hakimi and the impressive form of Brahim Diaz, who has scored five goals in five games.
However, their cup of nations record is underwhelming, with only one continental title coming back in 1976.
Their semi-final clash against Nigeria on Wednesday will be a tough one, with the Super Eagles led by Victor Osimhen, who has been in stellar form.
Following a 2-0 victory over Algeria, Nigeria coach Eric Chelle attributed their success to the team’s improvement and familiarity with his strategy.
In the other semi-final, Egypt take on Senegal, a repeat of the 2022 final.
Mohamed Salah, who has four goals in the tournament, is looking to lead Egypt to their eighth title.
Senegal, ranked second in Africa, has an experienced team, including Sadio Mane, who will face off against his former Liverpool teammate Salah.
The stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the tournament, with four of Africa’s top five teams still in contention.
Pictured above: Egypt progress to the last four
Source: @caf_online
