Group D action gets underway with somewhat of a David vs Goliath fixture between Morocco and Namibia on Sunday.
The Atlas Lions are one of the favourites for the tournament in many pundits’ eyes, but not the bookmakers, surprisingly. The Moroccans are second favourites to top Group D, while they’re also behind six times in the outright odds. The Namibians will know that they’re massive underdogs for this tie, but perhaps playing with less pressure and on the counter-attack could benefit them.
AFCON 2019: Group D | Sunday 23 June | Al-Salam Stadium | 16:30
To Win (90 Mins)
Morocco 4/10
Draw 33/10
Namibia 7/1
Morocco
After impressing heavily at last year’s FIFA World Cup, Morocco will be hoping to leave their mark once again on the world stage, this time, much closer to home, with the AFCON taking place in Egypt.
The hostile atmosphere will also be more accustomed to an Arab country, while their players also have the experience of playing in Europe as well, known to be the most competitive continent to ply your trade in.
Ajax Amsterdam superstar, Hakim Ziyech, headlines the Moroccan squad after the 26-year-old provided 21 goals and 24 assists across all competitions for the Dutch champions. The left footed wizard will be drawing loads of attention with some of the biggest clubs in world football said to be after his services. Under the tutelage of Herve Renard, who is a serial winner on African soil, Morocco will be a side worth fearing in Egypt.
Elsewhere in attack, the Atlas Lions have Soufiane Boufal of Celta Vigo, Nordin Amrabat, formerly of Watford, and Younes Belhanda, a five-time league winner in France, Ukraine and Turkey. In defence, Morocco also boast plenty of quality in the shape of Mehdi Benatia, once of Juventus and Bayern Munich, Romain Saiss of Wolves and Achraf Hakimi, a winner of the UEFA Champions League at Real Madrid.
Namibia
Namibia will be going into this year’s showpiece with not much to prove, expecting to be the whipping boys of Group D. They’re not African giants, they have no pedigree in this competition, and have never made it past the group stages of an AFCON tournament. In fact, the Brave Warriors have never won a single game in a Nations Cup.
Head coach, Ricardo Mannetti, has made some massive calls going into the AFCON, opting to leave out former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper, Virgil Vries, as well as Black Leopards defender, Chris Katjiukua.
Still, Namibia have some decent players to call upon. Mannetti has managed to call up Blackburn Rovers right-back, Ryan Nyambe, who made his debut for the Brave Warriors in a warm-up victory over Ghana in Dubai in their preparations for the tournament.
Namibia have some familiar faces in their squad, with no less than eight players from South Africa representing the national team, headlined by Bidvest Wits winger, Deon Hotto, as well as the Highlands Park duo of Denzil Haoseb and Peter Shalulile, Loydt Kazapua of Maccabi FC, Riaan Hanamub of Jomo Cosmos, Larry Horaeb of Baroka FC, Joslyn Kamatuka of Cape Umoya United and Max Mbaeva of Golden Arrows.
Verdict: Morocco (4/10)
It’s only the opening round, but for me, we have already come across the best bet of the tournament. Morocco should comfortably beat Namibia here, and at odds of 9/20, it’s certainly worth including in every single multiple you take.
