Morocco captain Romain Saïss says they can’t wait to end their 50-year wait of winning the Africa Cup of Nations which has been ‘the dream of all Moroccans’.
The 35-year-old defender who made his senior international debut for Morocco back in 2012 has been an integral part of their rise to the the summit of the CAF rankings, as a driving force in their run to the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
While he’s played more of a leadership role after an injury in the opening game against Comoros, Saïss admits it’s been a stressful journey towards the final, particularly the penalty shoot-out against Nigeria.
In what is there first final since 2004 and chasing their first title since the 1976 – the 86-time capped veteran says they will need the same support, commitment and discipline to overcome the Teranga Lions – who are in their third AFCON final in the last four editions.
“It was a stressful game, but we stayed focused for 120 minutes, kept the plan and at the end even if we won on penalties, we deserved to win because we were really strong, we created a lot of chances but unfortunately we could not win it in 120 minutes,” he said.
“But a win is a win, we’re still very happy and now the focus is on the final – it’s going to be another tough game, another big team, but when you reach the semi-final and final of AFCON it’s the kind of teams you have to face.
“The kind of game where the details will make the difference, we need to remain concentrated like we did against Nigeria and have the desire to win, have discipline and try to win the final on Sunday.
“It’s the dream of all Moroccans, we are waiting for this trophy for 50 years now, it’s been a long time for everyone in the country, so we can’t wait for Sunday and win the final.”
The two sides will meet on Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat at 21h00 (GMT+1).