Morocco to Play Friendly Game Against Cote d’Ivoire in October
The Atlas Lions of Morocco will take on Cote d’Ivoire in a friendly match in October in preparation for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The announcement was revealed in a press conference by Yacine Idriss Dialo, president of the Cote d’Ivoire Football Federation (FIF), following the conclusion of the 61st Ordinary General Assembly on Friday.
Dialo made an announcement about Cote d’Ivoire’s preparations for the AFCON at the event, emphasizing that his team will play friendlies in September and October.
On September 12, the Cote d’Ivoire team is scheduled to play an unnamed opponent, however the president specified that an exhibition match against the Atlas Lions of Morocco is scheduled to take place at the Ebimpe stadium on October 14.
The Atlas Lions have participated in a number of friendly matches since winning the World Cup.
In the encounter against Brazil, Morocco’s team was able to continue its strong World Cup showings, becoming the first Arab team in history to defeat the footballing giant.
However, the Atlas Lions were unable to triumph in their friendly against Cape Verde and Peru, as both games ended in scoreless draws.
More recently, on June 17, South Africa defeated Morocco 2-1 in an AFCON qualification match, drawing ire from the crowd.
Walid Regragui, the head coach of Morocco, made it clear in a post-game press conference that he wants to give new members of the team opportunities.
“As I said before, I don’t care if I lose two or three games before AFCON but there were important lessons that we learnt today. In the second half, we gave more intensity but, in the end, Bafana Bafana deserved the victory,” he said. “I changed a lot to see other players and that is what I wanted to see in this game.”
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