Rabat, April 13 -- Morocco's Atlas Lions have drawn what many see as the most challenging group for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in Egypt June 21-July 19.

Once again, the specter of "the group of death" haunts Morocco as its Lions feature in Group D, where they will take on Namibia, South Africa, and Cote d'Ivoire. The draw brings back memories of other occurrences, like the 2018 World Cup and the 2017 CAN, when the Lions faced the misfortune of being in the most lethal group.

While the description "group of death" is sometimes a sporting exaggeration for the least "playable" group, the caution it elicits is real.

Most often, in sports at least, exaggerations convey a feeling that the order of things is sometimes unchangeable. ...