Doha, Qatar 2022
Morocco coach Walid Regragui wants more than just a semi-final appearance at the World Cup.
“We want to write history for Africa. We have a chance of rewriting football history. We can win the World Cup. I am a bit of a dreamer. I am crazy,” Regragui told a packed press conference in Doha on Tuesday.
The Atlas Lions face reigning champions France in the second semi-final on Wednesday at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, some 35km north of Doha.
Regragui, who has attracted a lot of interest after plotting the fall of some of Europe’s best football playing nations, was in a bullish mood.
“We want to get rid of the mentality that an African team cannot reach the final. We should not say that we are happy to have reached the semi-final. We are among the four best teams in the world. We should believe we can get to the final. The closer we get to the final the closer we get to our dreams. We want to achieve our dreams,” said the 47-year-old coach.
Morocco eliminated Portugal in the quarterfinal and Spain in the round of 16 in a remarkable World Cup run that has excited Africa and the Arab world.
“Some people criticise African teams that the five slots we have at the World Cup was more than enough for us. We deserve to be here,” declared Regragui, who was appointed Atlas Lions coach just three months to the World Cup.
“We are in the semi-final. We are hungry for more,” he warned.
Thousands of Moroccan fans are expected to land in Doha to join the already huge and lively support that the Atlas Lions have enjoyed at the tournament.
Rock-solid Morocco
Morocco have conceded just one goal in the entire tournament — an own goal in their 2-1 win over Canada in the group stage — with Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal all failing to breach a rock-solid back line.
But France boast multiple goal threats. Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud have scored nine goals between them and Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann will also ask plenty of questions.
Morocco have a number of fitness concerns in their defence — centre-back Nayef Aguerd missed the Portugal game with a muscle injury and his regular partner, Romain Saiss, was substituted with a repeat of a hamstring injury.
Whoever Walid Regragui is able to send out will have to be fully switched on — France showed against England that even if Mbappe is neutralised there are plenty of other sources of danger.
France wary of counter-attacks
It is likely that France will enjoy plenty of possession in the Moroccan half but they will have to guard against swift counter-attacks.
Morocco’s style is direct and while they tend to focus on the flanks, with Hakim Ziyech on the right and Sofiane Boufal on the left, they can also go long to striker Youssef En-Nesyri and then scamper forward in support.
France’s full-backs Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez can expect a busy night, while Morocco will look to take advantage of any slip-ups from centre-half Dayot Upamecano, who had some shaky moments against England.
“We are well aware of their qualities, even if they don’t often have possession,” said Kounde. “They are very efficient with the ball, they try to combine quickly and find their wide players.”
Do Morocco have the legs?
Morocco spent a huge amount of energy in their wins against Spain and Portugal and with some players carrying injuries, Wednesday’s game will be a real test of their durability and stamina.
The match against Spain went to penalties while they faced a frantic second half against Portugal.
France, in contrast, have been able to take care of their knockout games without any extra-time and should be much fresher.
Didier Deschamps’ men will seek to exploit their fitnees advantage by making Morocco work hard without the ball, switching play and forcing Regragui’s team to chase the ball, especially in the early stages.
Lions roared on
France have fewer injury concerns and more attacking weapons but Morocco will have the crowd behind them at the Al Bayt Stadium, urging them to pull off another upset.
The African side, known as the Atlas Lions, have been one of the best-supported teams in Qatar and they will benefit from huge backing on Wednesday as the first Arab team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.
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Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
Addis Ababa, January 20, 2025</Strong> — Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. This outbreak marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.
In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.
Africa CDC has recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.
Africa CDC is committed to working closely with the Government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.
Source: allafrica.com
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