RABAT: The Africa Cup of Nations begins in Morocco this weekend, with the hosts desperate to get their hands on the trophy but sweating on the fitness of star man Achraf Hakimi for a tournament crammed awkwardly into football’s packed calendar.
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The Morocco captain’s race to overcome injury and the club future of Egyptian icon Mohamed Salah will dominate headlines around this edition of the AFCON, which runs until January 18.
Yet again, a Cup of Nations is not taking place at the time initially intended, after recent editions were moved due to clashes with the West African rainy season, the pandemic, conflicts or an Ebola outbreak.
The introduction of FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup last June and July forced the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to push back its flagship tournament.
