Afellay: Morocco Expected to Win AFCON or Coach's Job at Risk

Former Dutch international Ibrahim Afellay has praised the qualities of the Moroccan national team, indicating they are strong contenders to win the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations title.

Speaking on the Dutch TV program "Nos," Afellay stated: "Morocco has a very strong team. If you look at their performance in the last World Cup in Qatar, they impressed everyone and were the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals."

He continued: "But after that, they had a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations, exiting in the Round of 16 (in the Ivory Coast edition), which put pressure on the current coach, even though he still has significant credit thanks to the fantastic World Cup."

The former player added: "This month, they will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, and expectations are nothing less than winning the title. Otherwise, according to rumors, the coach might lose his job."

Afellay also noted: "They also have a strong U20 team, with promising young players like Ben Seghir at Leverkusen, Ounahi who shone at the World Cup and recently scored a fantastic goal against Girona, and El Khannouss at Stuttgart, who performed well against Feyenoord."

He concluded: "The core of the Moroccan national team is still present: Amrabat, Hakimi, one of the best full-backs in the world, Mazraoui, and Aguerd in defense."