The decision to stop continental competitions for only 24 hours coincides with Christmas celebrations, giving fans, organizers and players a short opportunity to catch their breath before entering the fray of the decisive rounds.

Since the opening ribbon was cut in Moroccan stadiums last Sunday, the tournament has not witnessed any glaring surprises, as the results in the first four days went according to logical expectations.

The major powers and exceptional candidates for the title proved their worth, presenting a strong performance in their opening matches that confirms their full readiness to compete for the precious cup.

As for the host country, the Moroccan national team achieved a victory over the Comoros with two unanswered goals in the opening match, a victory that gave the “Atlas Lions” a feeling of relief rather than celebration, after they were under great pressure.

The Moroccan national team will return to competition tomorrow, Friday, with a strong confrontation against Mali in Rabat in the second round of Group A, amid focus on the possible return of captain Achraf Hakimi.

The participation of the newly crowned Moroccan star, who was crowned best player in Africa, was in doubt after he suffered an ankle injury during a Champions League match with his team, Paris Saint-Germain, last month, but he returned to training last week and may get some playing minutes in tomorrow’s match.

The focus is also still on Mohamed Salah, the star of the Egyptian national team, after he sat on the bench with Liverpool last month and then criticized his coach, Arnie Sloat.

The tournament represents an opportunity for Salah to escape the pressure with his club, as he scored the exciting winning goal in the last moments last Monday to lead Egypt to overturn its deficit against Zimbabwe to a valuable victory with a score of 2-1.

Egypt hopes to continue regaining its luster when it faces South Africa in Agadir tomorrow, Friday.

The tournament has so far witnessed a strong start for Algeria and Senegal, in addition to victories achieved by defending champion Côte d’Ivoire, and former champions Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Tunisia.

The group stage competitions will conclude on December 31st, with the round of 16 starting on January 3rd, while the final match will be held on the 18th of the same month.

Source: Agencies