Morocco

MOROCCO qualified for the World Cup without conceding a goal in a group that had plenty of attacking threats from Ivory Coast to Mali and PierreEmerick Aubameyang’s Gabon. Their solid defence is the foundation that they are built on. They aren’t fancy but they are effective.

They are a lot like the Zambia team that Herve Renard stunned the continent with to win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. They don’t grab many headlines with their play but everything is methodological and smoothly done, so by the time their opponents wake up they are already home and dry.

The Lions of Atlas have been a sleeping giant in African football and they look on course to return to being among the best. They are, after all, the first African country to top their group in the World Cup and the first to reach the second round. Their qualification in the Russia edition of the World Cup is the first time they’ll be in the global showpiece in 20 years. Just like Egypt, they have a lot of making up to do. Morocco are in a tough group with Portugal, Spain and Iran.

But if they can beat the second team to book a ticket to Russia, Iran – while Spain and Portugal cancel each other in the opening round, they could sit in pole position of their group. That’s easier said than done. They have to work on their potency upfront as it’s still not at world-beaters level. They owe much of their success to a solid defence that needs to be complemented by a strong attack. Renard’s biggest challenge will be managing a country that has the financial means and the players but that hasn’t translated to consistent good performances at international level.