It is 37 years since Morocco won the Africa Cup of Nationsfor the only time after drawing with Guinea in the final pool match of atournament hosted by Ethiopia.
The closest the Atlas Lions have come since was finishingrunners-up to hosts Tunisia nine years ago, and subsequent appearances at theshowpiece of African football have brought only disappointment.
Morocco failed to win or even score en route to a 2006 firstround exit and blasted five goals past Namibia a couple of years later only tomake another early departure.
Losing again to Tunisia last year proved costly as they alsowent down to co-hosts Gabon and once more the Atlas Lions were flying homebefore the knock-out phase had even begun.
It was doubtful that they would make the 2013 tournament inSouth Africa after a 2-0 qualifying loss in Mozambique, but new coach RachidTaoussi masterminded a dramatic turnaround with a 4-0 Marrakech triumph.
Taoussi succeeded Belgian Eric Gerets, who came tonorth-west Africa with an impressive CV, but battled to mould stars likeMarouane Chamakh, Houssine Kharja and Adel Taarabt into a team capable ofwinning consistently.
None of the trio made the Johannesburg-bound squad withmidfielder and former captain Kharja venting his anger after being excludedfrom Group A clashes with Angola, Cape Verde Islands and South Africa.
"I think Taoussi has lacked courage - during the pastfew months he has been very evasive with me, using excuses not to choose mesuch as the distance I must travel for matches.
"He then said he could not reach me on the phone beforetelling me he will not take me to the Africa Cup of Nations because I play inQatar," Kharja told reporters in Doha.
Taoussi, who guided Moghreb Fes to the CAF Confederation Cuplast year and a surprise CAF Super Cup win over Tunisian club Esperance,believes the absence of the trio will not harm Moroccan chances of making animpact this year.
"I am happy with the draw and do not foresee anyproblems. The two teams to qualify from the group could be South Africa and usalthough Cape Verde eliminated Cameroon so they cannot be written off."
The 53-year-old coach relishes challenges and admits they donot come any bigger than facing the host nation in a match where everybody willbe against his Lions.
"We play Bafana Bafana last and that means we must dowell in the first two matches against Angola and Cape Verde so that we are notunder pressure before that final group game."
Long-serving goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri has succeeded Kharjaas captain, Mehdi Benatia is the defensive stalwart, Younes Belhanda themidfield conductor, and the strike force includes Liverpool fringe playerOussama Assaidi.
