The Moroccan Football Federation has officially announced a friendly match against Ghana, scheduled for October 4, 2023, at the Grand Tanger Stadium. This encounter presents Morocco with a valuable opportunity to seek revenge against the Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who has previously led four different teams to victories over the Moroccan national squad. Despite the friendly status of the match, the stakes are high for Morocco, especially after their upcoming clashes against Gabon and Lesotho on September 25 and 29, respectively, which are part of the qualification process for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Currently, Queiroz is at the helm of the Ghanaian national team in his second term, having successfully guided the Black Stars into the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup. Historically, Morocco has struggled against Queiroz, failing to secure a win in all four encounters with him, and Ghana marks the fifth national team he will face them with.
Morocco's Disappointing Record Against Queiroz
According to statistics from Transfermarkt, Morocco has faced Queiroz in four competitive matches, resulting in three losses and one draw. The first encounter occurred 24 years ago during the group stage of the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations when Queiroz was in charge of South Africa, leading them to a 3-1 victory over Morocco. Fast forward 16 years, Queiroz faced Morocco again in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup while coaching Iran, securing a narrow 1-0 win for the Asian side.
The third meeting took place during the quarter-finals of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, where Queiroz's Egyptian team eliminated Morocco with a 1-0 victory. The most recent matchup occurred last year when Queiroz was managing Oman, resulting in a goalless draw in the group stage of the Arab Cup. As Morocco prepares for this upcoming friendly, they hope that their luck will finally change against a coach who has often been a formidable opponent.
As reported by es-us.noticias.yahoo.com.
