By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (January 18^th 2021)

Champions Open Defence

Morocco’s A-team – the locally based Atlas Lions – opened the defence of their African Nations Championship (CHAN) by outclassing Togo, conquerors of Nigeria, 1-0. Wydad Casablanca’s defensive midfielder, Yahya Jabrane, scored the winner after 72 minutes to send Morocco to the top of Group C.

Jabrane is one of the 6^th CHAN winners. Like record goal-scorer, Ayoub el Kaabi, Jabrane earned a move out of Morocco after the last CHAN and moved back to play in this one too. Jabrane played for Hassania d’Agadir in 2018. Shortly after the CHAN he moved to the United Arab Emirates to play for Dibba al-Furaira. Six months later, he was back in Morocco’s Botola League with Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) Casablanca. He wasn’t the only Moroocan CHAN winner to move out of the country and back again.

Burkina Faso – the team which eliminated Ghana – drew 0-0 with Uganda in the second match of that Group. The defending champions will be no push overs.

Local Base

The Atlas Lions hosted and won the 6^th CHAN in 2018. One of the main purposes of the tournament, according to former President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ahmad Ahmad, was to highlight locally based players to a wider audience, especially abroad.

The aim was to help talented players who had slipped under the scouting radar to showcase their skills.

One of the flaws was demonstrated before a ball was kicked. In 2018 Badr Benoun captained Morocco. He went on to play for the full Atlas Lions as did other teammates. Benoun would surely have been a fixture in Morocco’s defence of their CHAN title, but on the eve of the 7^th CHAN Benoun joined Pitso Mosimane’s African Champions, Al-Ahly from Raja Casablanca. He is no longer eligible.

A Star Was Born

Ayoub el Kaabi shone at Renaissance Berkane in the 2017-18. It earned him call ups to the CHAN team and also the full national team. He was undoubtedly the star of the 6^th CHAN. El Kaabi set a new scoring record of 9 goals in the tournament, almost doubling the previous record held by Zambian Given Singluma in 2009.

Singulama’s record, set in the Ivory Coast, was 5. El Kaabi took it apart. It helped to earn the Moroccan winger and forward a lucrative move to Hebei China Fortune. It didn’t work out.

El Kaabi’s back in Moroccan football, playing for Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) Casablanca. That made him eligible for the 7^th CHAN as well. Other members of the CHAN winning squad are in Cameroon to defend their title.

Abedliah Hafidi, Zakaria Hadraf, Anas Zniti, Walid el Karti, el Kaabi and Yahya Jabrane

The Ultimate Aim

Coached by former Moroccan international Jamal Sellami, the local Atlas Lions delivered in style. Sellami had an unsuccessful spell in charge of the Under-17 team – Thomas Libih’s Cameroon lifted the trophy in Tanzania – before taking over Raja Casablanca in 2019.

His local Atlas Lions not only won the 6^th CHAN but some went on to establish themselves in the full national team. This is the ultimate point of the tournament – or should be.