Saturday Dec 20, 2025. 13:28
Comorian defender Rémy Vita believes his side is ready to tackle hosts and African powerhouse Morocco in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday.
The two sides will meet at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Morocco, playing on home soil, are among the favourites to win the tournament. The country has enjoyed a successful year of football, winning the African Nations Championship (CHAN) and the U-20 FIFA World Cup. The Atlas Lions will be looking to follow suit and secure the nation’s first AFCON title.
A small collection of islands off of Africa’s east coast, the Comoros has a population of around 860 000 and are underdogs in group A with the hosts, Mali and Zambia.
Speaking to Le360, the left-back – who plies his trade at Tondela in the Liga Portugal – states his team’s plan is clear and they intend to fight for every inch of the pitch.
“Personally, I don’t feel any pressure. We know what we have to do, we’ve analyzed them, and the truth will be revealed on the pitch. It will be a 90-minute battle to get the three points. We’re going to give it our all and we’re ready to fight. We know we’re facing one of the favorites, at home, a great nation, but we’re not going there with a defeatist attitude. We’re going to apply what we know how to do,” said Vita.
“The goal is to do what we know how to do, like in the AFCON qualifiers, where we finished first in our group ahead of Tunisia. I’m confident and I’m not going into this with a defeatist attitude just because Mali and Morocco are in our group. I feel there’s an opportunity to get out of this group and we want to go as far as possible. There’s a lot of quality in our squad, Comoros is getting stronger, so we’re going to do everything we can to cause an upset.”
The 24-year-old has five international caps to his name and will be motivated to help his side surprise the continent and the world.
By Nic Gleeson