The final of the 4th edition of the CAN U23 will be played on Saturday 8 July 2023. In front of their home crowd, Morocco will take on defending champions Egypt (20:00 GMT) in a bid to win the competition for the first time.
Morocco, in search of their first U23 AFCON title in their history, will be counting on the support of their fans in this final.Dominant in the group phase with 3 wins in 3 matches, the team-mates of FC Barcelona player Abdessamad Ezzalzouli are the favourites for this competition. Despite some turbulence in the semi-final, where Mali gave the Moroccan side a tough time, the hosts managed to escape the Eaglets' trap by qualifying on penalties.
At his pre-match press conference, the coach of the Atlas Cubs stressed the historic importance of this final. "This match against Egypt is about making history. We also want this final to show that the future of Moroccan football is assured," said Issame Charaï. He added: "Nothing will be easy. The Egyptians haven't conceded a goal in this tournament. We played them last November and managed to score. I hope we can do the same in the final.
Pharaohs aim for historic double
The Pharaohs, on the other hand, are showing a disconcerting solidity and serenity in this competition. Reigning champions, the Egyptians are already aiming to become the most successful country in the history of the U23 AFCON. With the best defence in the competition (0 goals conceded), Egypt will nonetheless face a different kind of opponent to their previous opponents, and coach Rogeiro Micale is well aware of this. "They have great strikers who are effective in front of goal. I sincerely believe that we'll be facing a system of play that we haven't seen before in this tournament.We're going to have to stay focused," said the coach.
To win this final, the Brazilian coach is concentrating on managing his emotions in front of a crowd that will be boiling hot and hostile. "We know that the stadium will be full and against us.However, the greatest victories are forged through adversity and complexity.I'm lucky enough to have a very mature group of players with me.Most of them are professionals, and those who are not act as if they were," warns the coach.
