Confident Morocco face Guinean hurdle

Morocco face Guinea in Thursday’s second set of Group B games in a rematch of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Ethiopia 1976 final. Guinea will not need reminding that in Addis Ababa they came to within four minutes of lifting the title, only for Morocco to strike late and claim the continent’s top honour.

However, the Moroccans’ preparations for this reunion have been hit by the loss of in-form striker Soufiane Alloudi. The injured Al-Ain attacker lifted the Atlas Lions to a 5-1 reverse of the outclassed Namibians in their Ghana 2008 opener on Monday, but coach Henri Michel will now have to find a new attacking formula to unlock the Guinean defence.

Alloudi was ruled out for this game and Monday’s final first round tie with the host nation after suffering tendonitis in his right knee. Morocco have already put the painful lessons of the 2006 continental finals, when they were knocked out after the first round withouot scoring a single goal, behind them.

And they are now talking about emulating their powerful 2004 showing when they made it all the way to the final in Tunisia. “I was disappointed as a player about what happened in Egypt,” captain Youssef Safri reflected. “I’ve learned from our mistakes. This time we want to go as far as possible.”

Incentive
The 1976 champions looked slick and polished against Namibia, but in Guinea, who caused Ghana a myriad of problems in Sunday’s curtain-raiser, they face an altogether tougher proposition. And Guinea star Pascale Feindoundo and his team-mates have been offered an added incentive to make it to through their tricky group in the form of a $30,000 per-man bonus.

Should they make it to the last four their reward rises to $50,000, they will get a further $20,000 if they reach the final, and if they win the title itself they will each gain $150,000. Yet the Syli Elephant’s coach Robert Nouzaret took his players to task for failing to live up to expectations in their opener – and he predicted improvement for the Morocco game.

“I’m disappointed because we didn’t show our true character against Ghana,” the Frenchman said. “We are in a difficult position but I am still optimistic because we can’t play that badly again.

“We played at a level which wasn’t recognisable with how we can play. When you don’t play, you don’t score. But I’m not discouraged – we’ll show our real colours against Morocco. After dropping three points already it’s a decisive match for us.”

A second loss for Guinea in the first leg of Thursday’s’ Group A double header at the Ohene Djan Stadium – Ghana play Namibia in the second match – would prove fatal, even with underdogs Namibia to come in Sekondi on Monday.

Nouzaret added: “I’ve got to get the confidence back in the side, Monday’s loss can’t stay in their minds. I’m hopeful, I don’t think we’ll be knocked out playing two consecutive matches like that.”

(AFP) Wednesday 23 January 2008