Morocco vs. Central African Republic: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Morocco will attempt to maintain their remarkable record in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this week when they host the Central African Republic at Stade d'Honneur d'Oujda on Saturday.

The hosts are in first place in Group B with six points, while the visitors are in third place with three points as they prepare to enter game three of qualifying.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

The forthcoming opponents' stadiums have been declared unsuitable for international competition, necessitating Morocco's 'away' leg be played in Oujda next week. Consequently, Morocco will strive to accumulate six more points over the next two match dates.

Following a commanding 4-1 victory over Gabon in their opening match and a 1-0 victory over Lesotho on the road in week two, the Atlas Lions will have the ideal opportunity to further their perfect record in this competition.

Walid Regragui's team has now been undefeated in its last six matches, has won each of its last four, and has scored an impressive 13 goals while only conceding once during its win streak.

The Atlas Stars have won three of their four home games since their catastrophic defeat at the most recent Africa Cup of Nations. The sole exception was a goalless stalemate against Mauritania in a friendly in March.

Morocco extended its unbeaten streak against this opponent to five matches, including three victories and two draws, during their most recent encounter during group qualification for the 2021 AFCON competition. Morocco emerged victorious in both matches.

In the interim, the Central African Republic is currently engaged in its ninth AFCON qualification campaign and is optimistic that this year will be the year it secures a berth in the main draw.

Les Fauves began their qualifiers with a victory over Lesotho last month, winning 3-1 on the opening day. However, they were unable to replicate this success, as Gabon defeated them 2-0 four days later.

Nevertheless, Raoul Savoy's team has a positive record in 2024, winning four of their six matches. Their sole other loss this year was a 4-3 drama against Ghana in World Cup qualifying in June.

Nevertheless, despite the evidence of progress in recent months, CAR must continue to address its propensity to concede goals at a low cost. This was evident in each of their most recent three games, during which they conceded seven goals.

The visitors will need to improve their away record and resolve their defensive issues to have a chance of qualifying. Les Fauves have suffered nine defeats and secured only one victory in their 12 road matches.

Morocco x Central African Republic Team News

Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui withdrew from the squad to purportedly undergo a cardiac procedure after experiencing palpitations in the lead-up to this match. This dealt Morocco a late injury setback.

Brahim Diaz and Hakim Ziyech were also absent from the Atlas Lions this week due to injury, while Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, a rising prospect, received his first call-up to the national team.

Louis Mafouta has been the visitors' primary attacking force in recent matches, scoring five goals in his last three matches, including a hat-trick in the Black Stars' defeat in June.

For this match, the Amiens striker is anticipated to form an attacking partnership with CSKA Sofia forward Goduine Koyalipou, while Marseille's Geoffrey Kondogbia is anticipated to attempt to exert influence in the visitors' midfield.

Our Predictions

Morocco to win and over 2.5 goals @ 1.56 on Sky247.ng

Although the Central African Republic has achieved some noteworthy results in recent months, they have yet to encounter a team with the caliber of talent that Morocco possesses. Therefore, we anticipate that the visitors will need help maintaining pace with the Atlas Lions in this match.

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