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FAVORITES OR VICTIMS? CAN MOROCCO BREAK THE HOST NATION AFCON CURSE

Morocco enters AFCON 2025 as the top seed, but with only one title from 1976, can they finally handle the immense home pressure?

Favorites or Victims? Can Morocco Break the Host Nation AFCON Curse
Is Morocco Ready for Group A Pressure

Morocco enters the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as the favourite. They’ve got a talented team and an impressive unbeaten record playing at home. Still, history isn't on their side. They've had their share of disappointments in the past, and host countries haven't done great in the tournament over the last 20 years.

Morocco hasn’t lost at home since a friendly against Gabon back in 2019. Their last loss in a competitive home game was against Cameroon in 2009 during a World Cup qualifier.

After their 2022 World Cup run to the semi-finals, the best for an African team, they're seen as the top team. The other 23 teams will have a tough time beating them for the title.

But we've seen this before. The Moroccan team has come into the Cup of Nations as a favourite before, only to disappoint.

Take the Ivory Coast tournament a couple of years ago. Their team was full of stars but lost 2-0 to South Africa in the Round of 16.

Despite all their talent, Morocco hasn't reached the semi-finals of the Cup of Nations since they came in second to Tunisia in 2004. Their only win was way back in 1976 in Ethiopia.

The pressure from the home crowd will for sure be on them, and that can mess with players.

The last time Morocco hosted in 1988, they were also the favourites. They lost 1-0 to Cameroon in the semi-finals and then lost to Algeria in the third-place match.

It's just one example of a host nation not living up to expectations.

"Sure, there's extra pressure, but we're not shying away from it," said Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui. It's not just on me but on the players too. It's a big deal, and we're okay with it.

Some (Morocco) fans have been waiting to see us win this since 1976.

The fans and the team need to be united. This pressure has to be a good thing, and if it gets bad, we'll deal with it. We're ready and have what it takes to have a great tournament.”

Morocco is in Group A with Mali, Zambia, and Comoros, which won’t be easy.

We respect all the teams in our group. Everyone wants to win, but with the talent and drive we have, we believe we can make our fans happy.”

Regragui said earlier this year that he’s the right person to win the trophy for Morocco.

You won't find anyone better than me for the next African Cup of Nations. I believe I can win it. If Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti could promise us the trophy, I'd give them my spot. But that's not going to happen.”

Ivory Coast won at home two years ago, even though they barely made it out of their group and lost 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea.

But they're the first home team to win in 10 tries, since Egypt in 2006.

Looking back, there have only been three home wins in the last 16 tournaments—Tunisia (2004), Egypt (2006), and Ivory Coast (2023). Before that, South Africa won as hosts in 1996.

In the 34 tournaments so far, 12 hosts have won, but eight of those were before 1991.

The hosts who've won are Egypt (1959, 1986, 2006), Ethiopia (1962), Ghana (1963, 1978), Sudan (1970), Nigeria (1980), Algeria (1990), South Africa (1996), Tunisia (2004), and the Ivory Coast (2023).

Three host nations lost in the final: Tunisia (1965), Libya (1982), and Nigeria (2000).

The worst a host can do is get knocked out in the group stage, which happened to Ethiopia (1976), Ivory Coast (1984), Tunisia (1994), and Gabon (2017).

WHY DID CRISTIANO RONALDO CRY? LUKA MODRIC EXPOSES JOSE MOURINHO’S HARSHEST LECTURE

Luka Modric reveals Jose Mourinho once reduced Cristiano Ronaldo to tears at Real Madrid for failing to track back defensively.

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Modric and Balague confirm the 2013 Valencia clash that shattered Real’s locker room

Luka Modric says that Jose Mourinho once gave Cristiano Ronaldo such a harsh lecture that the guy was in tears.

Ronaldo, who's 40 now, played really well under Mourinho, who's 62. They were together at Real Madrid for three seasons, but apparently, they didn't always get along off the field.

Even though things got off to a slow start, the Portuguese superstar still managed to score 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho. He also helped Mourinho win three trophies in his first two seasons.

But get this: even with superstars like Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria on his team, Mourinho was still super critical of Ronaldo's effort on defense.

Modric, who Mourinho signed from Tottenham back in 2013, told a story about one argument that made Ronaldo cry. Apparently, it was because he didn't chase after his assigned player.

"I saw him make Cristiano Ronaldo cry in the locker room," Modric told Corriere della Sera, an Italian news outlet. Can you believe it? A guy who always gives it his all on the field, and he's getting yelled at because he didn't chase some defender.

Modric moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and only played under Mourinho for a year.

Modric, who played alongside Kaka and Mesut Ozil in the midfield after arriving for a big £33 million, didn't say which game the argument happened in.

Guillem Balague, a Spanish soccer journalist, wrote in Ronaldo's biography that Ronaldo and Mourinho almost fought after Mourinho yelled at him in the locker room following a 2-0 win against Valencia in January 2013.

Mourinho was mad because Ronaldo didn't seem willing to help out on defense during the game. And Ronaldo supposedly replied, After everything I've done for you, this is how you treat me? How dare you say that to me!

Later that season, which turned out to be Mourinho's last with the team, Ronaldo was constantly asked about Mourinho's future. "I don't care," he said once. What I care about is my own future and the club.

This was a big change from earlier that year, when Mourinho said before the 2012 Ballon d'Or race, If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe!

After Mourinho left Real Madrid, he went on Spanish TV to talk about what caused the problems between him and Ronaldo.

"I only had one problem with him," he said. It was simple. When a coach gives a player feedback on tactics, they are trying to help them get better, in my opinion. He didn't take it well because he probably thinks he knows everything, and the coach can't help him.

Mourinho also said that they didn't really have a relationship. But time seemed to fix things, as he later said that coaching Ronaldo was the best thing that ever happened in his career.

Ronaldo also seemed to warm up to Mourinho later on, even saying that he was the best coach he ever had, even better than Sir Alex Ferguson. "I'd put him at the top; I always say that," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo scored 168 goals in 164 games while playing for Mourinho during their three years together.

Even though Modric didn't win any trophies in his first season at Madrid, he was so impressed by Mourinho that he repeated something Mourinho famously said about himself.

He's special, as a coach and as a person, Modric said. He was the one who wanted me at Real Madrid. I wouldn't have come without him. I'm sad I only had him for one season.

Modric spent 13 years at Real Madrid, mostly managed by Carlo Ancelotti. Now he's at AC Milan and managed by Massimiliano Allegri. But he says Mourinho is the toughest of the three.

He added, "Mourinho is really direct with the players, but he's honest." He treated Sergio Ramos and new players the same way. If he had something to say, he'd say it. Max is the same way. He tells you what's right and wrong to your face. Honesty is key.

Modric also shared his opinion on the never-ending debate of who's better, Lionel Messi or Ronaldo, but said he doesn't really like talking about it.

"I don't like that question," he said. They both defined an era. I'm closer to Cristiano because I played with him; he was my teammate at Madrid, and I can tell you he's not just a great player, he's an amazing person. People don't know it, but he has a big heart and is always ready to help others. He's just a simple, normal guy.

He added, "I don't know Messi personally, but I'm sure he's great too." As a player, he's incredible.

CELTIC FANS DEMAND BOARD SACK WILFRIED NANCY AFTER SHOCK MOTHERWELL DEFEAT TONIGHT

Wilfried Nancy dismisses sack talk after Celtic's 2-0 loss at Motherwell. With Rangers closing in, the Old Firm looms large.

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Wilfried Nancy’s future on the line after fifth loss in seven

After Celtic's fifth loss in seven games under his leadership, Wilfried Nancy brushed off ideas that Saturday's Old Firm game would decide his future.

Tuesday's match at Fir Park, called 'El Passico' due to both teams' open play styles, saw Motherwell outperform the Frenchman's team. Ibrahim Said and Elliot Watt scored on either side of halftime.

The 2-0 defeat, Celtic's 17th this year, meant Hearts stayed three points ahead in the league, while Rangers closed in, now just three points behind Nancy's squad after a 2-1 victory over St Mirren.

At the end of the game, visiting fans chanted for the board to be sacked, and some even demanded the manager's immediate dismissal. When asked if his first derby was a make-or-break moment, Nancy responded, No, not really. Every game matters to me and the team.

I'm not focused on my future. I'm focusing on what I'm doing now, what I need to do to help the team get better, and what we need to do as a team to improve. That's how I see it.

When asked if he understood the fans' deep worry about the lack of progress during his time, Nancy was indignant.

Progress? "There is progress," he insisted. But tonight, the situation and the opponent were tough.

This is a fact. Now, we need to figure out how to get better, and that's what we've been working on from the start. Tonight was rough. That's the truth.

When questioned about feeling the pressure after such a bad start as the champion's manager, Nancy added, As a manager, I don't want this, obviously.

Pressure doesn't change how I think. We know we have to perform well.

But right now, this is how it is. I knew it could be like this. We've had good games at times. Tonight was a hard one.

Regarding whether he was sure he could turn things around, Nancy said, Yes, I'm sure. I had to make some choices about the team tonight. I believe in what we're trying to do and where we're going. This was a hard game, difficult for us, but I think we'll improve.

Motherwell's manager, Jens Berthel Askou, praised his team, saying it was probably their best game of the season.

"We knew we'd probably need our best, most solid, and most complete performance, both with and without the ball, to win," he said.

We've had really big and good performances, but they haven't led to wins against Rangers or Celtic. So, that's what we got, and that's what we needed. It was amazing to see.

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