Our prediction for this Africa Cup of Nations 2024 match:
Gabon
Match Time & Date:
18/01/2022
02:00 PM
Prediction: 0-0
Morocco
Top position in Group C will be at stake when Gabon and Morocco face each other at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in the Africa Cup of Nations Group C round 3. Following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Comoros, Gabon played out a 1-1 draw with Ghana to move one step closer to booking their place in the playoffs. Since the Panthers are one point away from securing a top-two finish, the nominal hosts are likely to adopt a defence-minded approach in the decider.
The good news for Patrice Neveu’s troops is that Arsenal ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should be available for the last group game. Morocco, on the other hand, aim to keep their 100% record at the 2021 AFCON intact, but seeing that they would be happy with one point from the match as well, the share of spoils is on the cards. Sevilla attacker En Nesyri is pushing for a start despite failing to convert a penalty in the draw with Ghana.
Highlighted Player (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang):
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the most famous Gabonese player and he is the first footballer from Gabon to appear in Bundesliga. Aubameyang played for the likes of Dijon, Lille, Monaco and St. Etienne in the past before joining Borussia Dortmund on July, 2013. The pacey attacker signed a five-year contract with the Millionaires and he has been producing outstanding performances with the Signal-Iduna-Park outfit ever since.
Aubameyang impressed in the 2015–16 Bundesliga, scoring 25 goals in 31 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, but that did not help Thomas Tuchel’s men win the domestic trophy. Speaking of his international career, the 187-cm-tall striker made his Gabon debut on 25 March, 2009 and he scored his first goal for the national team in a 3-2 win over Morocco.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Gabon make it to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. It has to be noted, though, that he played for France U-21 team in the past. Aubameyang was born in Laval, France on 18 June, 1989.
Highlighted Team (Morocco):
Morocco, the Atlas Lions, are the first African team to win a group at the World Cup finals. Back in 1986 the team managed to finish the group stages above Portugal, Poland and England, but West Germany proved to be a big catch for the Moroccan national team in the last 16 of the tournament.
The Atlas Lions participated at the World Cup finals on four occasions, but winning of the 1976 African Cup of Nations is considered the team’s biggest success. Morocco were producing outstanding displays at the tournament in Ethiopia and it has to be noted that they defeated Guinea in the title game.
Morocco play their home games at Stade Adrar and Stade de Marrakech and they wear red shirts and green shorts when playing in front of home fans. A number of top-class footballers played for Morocco in the past, but Mustafa Hadji is certainly the biggest star who played for the Moroccan national team.
