Morocco coach Walid Regragui urged his players to step up their game during Friday night's Group A clash against Mali at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat.
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 Cup of Nations in 1957.
"At times we lacked runs into space and presence in the box," said Regragui about the game against Comoros. "There was perhaps too much caution.”
After a goalless first-half, Brahim Diaz opened his Cup of Nations account and Ayoub El Kaabi's strike with a bicycle kick doubled the advantage.
“Mali reminds me of Morocco in the past," added Regragui who played in the defeat to Tunisia in the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations final.
"There is a lot of talent, but sometimes difficulty managing emotions during a game. The day they get that breakthrough, they will be very dangerous.”
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Friday's line-up
Before the Group A crunch, Zambia, who claimed a surprise 1-1 draw with Mali on Monday, face Comoros in Casablanca.
The day's action will kick off with the Group B match between Angola and Zimbabwe.
The outfits will be seeking to relaunch their campaigns following respective opening day defeats to South Africa and Egypt.
Egypt skipper Mohamed Salah scored in second-half stoppage-time to give his side a 2-1 victory in Agadir on Monday.
Angola also went down to a late strike. Defeat for either team in Marrakesh could jeopardise their chances of progress to the last-16 though both squads can take heart from Cote d'Ivoire's experiences at the last competition.
The Ivorians lost two of their pool matches but managed to qualify for the knockout stages as one of the four best third-placed teams. They eventually claimed the crown.
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Egypt and South Africa will be eyeing a berth in the second phase when they clash in the afternoon in Agadir.
South Africa enter the encounter on the back of a 27-match unbeaten run.
"It's a nice record, but it's nothing more than that," said South Africa boss Hugo Broos.
"I don't pay any particular attention to it. We just want to win every game, that's our philosophy and we try to demonstrate that on the pitch."
Broos, who steered the Cameroon squad to the trophy at the 2017 Cup of Nations, added: "If you ask me to choose between staying unbeaten or winning the Cup of Nations, I think you can already guess my answer. "
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