The TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco on Saturday when the hosts take on fancied Zambia in a titanic clash to get the group stage under way.
Both teams will have eyes on the trophy and get an early test of their form in this Group A clash at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat that kicks off at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT).
It would be no surprise if this was the fixture to both open and close the tournament in the final on July 26, such is the quality in both squads.
The tournament is to be played at six venues across five cities, with many of Morocco’s major stadia out of commission while they undergo renovations ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations that kicks-off in December.
Morocco were hosts three years ago when more than 50 000 turned up for the final as they lost 2-1 to South Africa, the pain of that defeat still raw and fresh in their minds.
They have since acquired the services of coach Jorge Vilda, who led Spain to the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup title. Their mission is clear – turn silver into gold.
In a pool that also contains tricky Senegal and DR Congo, and with the top two teams advancing to the quarterfinals along with two of the three best third-placed sides, this will not be an easy ride.
"It's not a negative pressure. It's a huge desire to do well,” Vilda told CAFOnline. “African football has immense potential. Everything is more and more balanced. The teams are preparing better, the national competitions are improving, the teams have better technical staff who help them to progress.
“We see more organised teams and, above all, with enormous physical potential. There are also many players playing in the best leagues in the world, which clearly makes the difference, both for club and country.”
He admits there will be no easy games in his group and that Morocco will have to hit the ground running.
“I think it's the toughest group, because it's very balanced. We know Zambia well, we faced each other in Olympic qualifying. It's a team that has progressed a lot in the last year, with very powerful, fast, physically strong players, who play in the best leagues.
“They have a new coach (Nora Häuptle) who brings them more organisation. They are a very competitive team.
“DR Congo is also a team made up of very strong players physically. We've played them before and we know how difficult they are.
“And Senegal, who we faced in a friendly match, is a team that can pose real problems. I believe that every victory in this group will be a real conquest. Winning a match in the finals is already a conquest. And that's our goal: to conquer game after game.”
Zambia have reigning CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year Barbra Banda in their side, one of the best players in the world. She was not available three years ago when they won the bronze medal after a narrow 1-0 loss to South Africa in the semifinals.
Swiss coach Häuptle will hope to build on the recent success of the team, which includes back-to-back Olympic Games participations and a 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup appearance.
“It’s a fairly diverse Group A in terms of playing styles. I know Senegal a bit from my time with Ghana. They’re a very physical team, with technically skilled players. Many of them play in France, a physically demanding league,” Häuptle said.
“DR Congo is home to the current CAF Women’s Champions League winners (TP Mazembe), which means a strong club foundation. Often, these clubs form the backbone of the national team. So we’re expecting a tough, combative match there.
“As for Morocco, you can clearly see the results of their federation’s investment, for both men and women. Their game is more possession-based. Zambia recently played them in Olympic qualifiers, so we’re familiar with their approach.”