Moroccovs.Tanzania

The Atlas Lions sit comfortably at the top of Group E with a perfect record from their four matches, while Tanzania trail six points behind in third place.

Match preview

Morocco extended their flawless run in the qualifiers with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Niger, though it was far from a straightforward encounter for the North Africans.

After a goalless first half—during which the Atlas Lions struck the post—Niger took a surprise lead two minutes after the restart, as Youssouf Oumarou capitalised on a goalmouth scramble from a free-kick to tap home from close range.

However, PSV midfielder Ismael Saibari restored parity 12 minutes later with a composed finish at the far post, before Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss secured all three points with a close-range header in the first minute of stoppage time.

That result extended Morocco's unbeaten run across all competitions to 11 matches, with nine consecutive victories, scoring 22 goals in their last five outings while conceding just twice.

Next up for Walid Regragui's men is a home fixture against Tanzania—an opponent they have dominated historically, winning five of their six previous encounters and losing just once.

Tanzania, meanwhile, were due to face Congo in their last fixture on March 17, but the match was cancelled following FIFA's suspension of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) on February 6 due to governmental interference.

As a result, Congo forfeited all remaining qualifiers, leaving the Taifa Stars on six points, level with second-placed Niger after playing three matches.

With the four best runners-up advancing to the play-off stage, the race for second place in Group E remains wide open, and Tanzania will view a positive result in Morocco as a major boost to their qualification hopes.

The visitors will be playing their fourth World Cup qualifier against the Atlas Lions, and they will be hoping to channel the spirit of their 3-1 victory in 2013 as they seek another upset.

Morocco World Cup Qualifying - Africa form:

Morocco form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

W

Tanzania World Cup Qualifying - Africa form:

Tanzania form (all competitions):

L

L

W

W

L

L

Team News

Brahim Diaz played a pivotal role in both of Morocco's goals against Niger and is expected to be the key creative force once again in the absence of the injured Hakim Ziyech.

Youssef En-Nesyri will lead the line and aim to add to his goal tally, while match-winners Saibari and El Khannouss—both of whom came off the bench to score last time out—could be rewarded with starting berths on Tuesday.

Tanzania head coach Hemed Suleiman has named a 24-man squad for the trip to Morocco, with new faces such as defender Miraji Abdallah and midfielder Yakoub Suleiman receiving call-ups.

However, first-choice goalkeeper Aishi Manula has been left out due to a lack of playing time at Simba SC, while captain Mbwana Samatta is ruled out through injury.

Morocco possible starting lineup:

Bono; Mazraoui, Aguerd, Yamiq, Hakimi; Amrabat, Ounahi, Seghir; Diaz, En-Nesyri, Rahimi

Tanzania possible starting lineup:

Suleiman; Kapombe, Job, Hamad, Mohamed; Yahya, Bitegeko, Salum; Mzize, Hussein, Mzuva

We say: Morocco 3-1 Tanzania

Written by

Joshua Cole

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