Key events
Morocco’s route to the final
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Group A Comoros 2-0, Mali 1-1, Zambia 3-0
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Last 16 Tanzania 1-0
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Quarter-final Cameroon 2-0
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Semi-final Nigeria 0-0 (4-2 pens)
The only goal Morocco have conceded was a penalty by Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko
Senegal’s route to the final
Senegal’s 12 goals have been spread throughout the team, with eight different goalscorers.
Team news
Morocco are unchanged from the semi-final win over Nigeria. Senegal make three changes: Lamine Camara, Antoine Mendy and Mamadou Sarr come in for Krepin Diatta and the suspended pair of Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra.
Morocco are unchanged from the semi-final win over Nigeria. Senegal make three changes: Lamine Camara, Antoine Mendy and Mamadou Sarr come in for Krepin Diatta and the suspended pair of Kalidou Koulibaly and Habib Diarra.
Senegal (4-3-3) E Mendy; A Menddy, Mar Sarr, Niakhate, Diuf; League, I Guye, P Guye; I NOday, Jackson, Mane.
Sins: Dioth, Yreuf, Mr Camara, Camar, Dial, Jakob, Nagaye, Cealy, Nain, Sabaly, P Sarr, P Sarr, Sck.
Morocco (4-1-4-1) Bono; Hakimi, Aguerd, Masina, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui; Diaz, El Khannouss, Saibari, Ezzalzouli; El Kaabi.
Subs: Munir, Al Harrar, Akhomach, Ait Boudlal, Amrabat, Belammari, Chibi, El Yamiq, Igamane, Rahimi, Saiss, Salah-Eddine, Talbi, Targhalline.
Referee John James Ngambla (DR Congo).
Jonathan Wilson
Sometimes a tournament’s greatest strength can be its greatest weakness. In part because of the excellent playing conditions, this has been an Africa Cup of Nations devoid of shocks. The better teams keep winning. There has been a lot of good football, but not a huge amount of memorable football.
And the consequence is that, in the final, we have the two best teams, or certainly the best team in north Africa against the best team in sub-Saharan Africa: the hosts and World Cup semi-finalists Morocco against Senegal, who have reached three of the past four Afcon finals.
Preamble
You’ve got a nerve, turning up here expecting a goalfest. Major finals don’t work like that; Afcon finals certainly don’t. The last 10 have produced only 10 goals – and that includes four periods of extra-time. The stakes are too high to worry about entertainment.
Tonight, in Rabat, either Morocco or Senegal will become champions of Africa for only the second time. That’s where the similarities end. Morocco are desperate to win for two reasons: they are the hosts, and it’s 50 years since they last won the competition. Tonight’s match is only their second final in that time, an unfathomably poor record for such a revered football nation.
Senegal hope to make a different kind of history. This is their third Afcon final in the last four, and they lost on penalties to the eventual winners Ivory Coast in the other one. Victory tonight would create a legacy as one of African football’s greatest teams.
One way or another, history will be made. May the best team win, and to hell with the entertainment.
Kick off 7pm GMT, 8pm in Rabat.
