The China Mail - Morocco coach Regragui aims to shift pressure to Cameroon before AFCON clash

The tournament hosts are the favourites to win the competition given their home advantage as well as the fact they are Africa's leading side in the FIFA world rankings.

But the expectation on them brings an enormous weight of pressure that is in contrast to Cameroon, who have reached the last eight despite a chaotic build-up to the Cup of Nations which saw them appoint a new coach weeks before their opening game.

There is also a historical precendent: the last time Morocco hosted the Cup of Nations was in 1988, when their dream of winning the title was ended in defeat by Roger Milla's Indomitable Lions in the semi-finals in Casablanca.

"The reality is that Cameroon have generally been Morocco's bete noire. They have often come here and won. But that was in the past. We are the new Morocco so what happened then no longer matters," Regragui said on the eve of Friday's clash.

He then suggested that Cameroon's failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup means they have more to lose than a Moroccan team desperate to win the continental title in front of their fans, half a century after their sole Cup of Nations triumph to date.

"The reality now is that Cameroon are on form, and this is their competition because they have everything to lose," Regragui insisted.

"If they go no further they will have to wait two or three more years for another major tournament.

"We also have something to lose because we are at home but in four months we have the World Cup so we have another competition to play.

"That is why Cameroon will be motivated, more than usual. There is pressure on us but on them too."

- Hakimi back to his best? -

The Morocco coach was also full of praise for his Cameroonian counterpart David Pagou, whose calm demeanour has helped a young side progress from their group and then eliminate South Africa in the last 16.

"We are playing the host nation, a top side who have really good individuals as well as a collective that works well together," admitted Pagou.

"And also, not that I am a historian but Morocco have not lost at home in a very long time. So that is an extra source of motivation."

For Morocco, the Lille striker Hamza Igamane is fit again after injury but Regragui acknowledged that midfield lynchpin Sofyan Amrabat is still struggling with an ankle problem while veteran defender Romain Saiss is also not fully fit.

However, captain Achraf Hakimi is set to start again after doing so for the first time in the tournament in the narrow last-16 win against Tanzania.

"Achraf hadn't played 90 minutes in almost two months. He played very well against Tanzania but we have not yet seen Achraf at his best. Hopefully we will tomorrow," Regragui said of the African player of the year, who suffered an ankle injury with Paris Saint-Germain in early November.

V.Liu--ThChM