France, Dec. 26 -- Following an opening day victory over Comoros, the hosts can advance to the knockout stages of the 2025 tournament with a win in front of fervent partisans.

But Regragui said passage to the second phase would not be straightforward.

"Mali will show more personality, more technical control," added the 50-year-old former Morocco international.

"There will be more space for us but there will also be moments when we will suffer."

Morocco go into the tie boasting a 19-match winning streak dating back to March 2024. 'Too much caution'

The top-rated African team in the Fifa world rankings, Morocco entered the tournament as one of the hot favourites for what would be the country's second trophy since the inception of the C...