Moroccan announces ACN 2013 squad

 RABAT, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan national team coach Rachid Taoussi announced Wednesday the squad¹ for the finals of the African Cup of Nations (ACN-2013) in South Africa from January 19 to February 10.

Taoussi left out Queens Park Rangers² forward Adel Taarabt and Arsenal³ striker Marouane Chamakh. Dutch-born striker Mounir El Hamdaoui returned to the squad for the first time since September after reviving his career on loan at Fiorentina from Ajax Amsterdam. The list also includes Aston Villa⁴ midfielder Karim El Ahmadi and Liverpool forward Oussama Assaidi.

The first match against Angola will be crucial for the qualification to the quarter-final from group A, Taoussi said in a press conference Wednesday in Rabat, adding that It's scheduled to go to Johannesburg on January 3.

"We're going to play two friendlies, the first on Jan. 8 against Zambia, the title holder⁵, and the second on the 12th against Namibia." Taoussi added.

In Group A, Morocco will play against Angola in Johannesburg on January 19, and also face Cape⁶ Verde on January 23, then South Africa on January 27.

The squad

Goalkeepers: Khalid Askri (Raja Casablanca), Nadir⁷ Lamyaghri ( Wydad Casablanca), Anas Zniti (Maghreb Fes)

Defenders⁸: Younes Belakhdar, Abderahim Achchakir (both Royal Armed Forces), Zakarya Bergdich (RC Lens), Abdelhamid El Kaoutari (Montpellier), Mehdi Benatia (Udinese), Issam El Adoua (Vitoria Guimaraes), Ahmed Kantari (Stade Brest)

Midfielders: Adil Hermach (Al Hilal Riyadh), Karim El Ahmadi ( Aston Villa), Younes Belhanda (Montpellier), Mehdi Namli (Moghreb Tetouan), Kamel Chafni (Stade Brest), Chahir Belghazouani (Ajaccio) , Abdelaziz Barrada (Getafe), Abdelilah Hafidi (Raja Casablanca)

Forwards: Oussama Assaidi (Liverpool), Nordin Amrabat ( Galatasaray), Abderrazak Hamdallah (Olympique Safi), Youssef El Arabi (Granada), Mounir El Hamdaoui (Fiorentina), Youssef Kaddioui (Royal Armed Forces).

1 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

2 rangers   

护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员

参考例句：

• Do you know where the Rangers Stadium is? 你知道Rangers体育场在哪吗？ 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Now I'm a Rangers' fan, so I like to be near the stadium. 现在我是Rangers的爱好者，所以我想离体育场近一点。 来自超越目标英语 第3册

3 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

4 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

5 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

6 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

7 nadir   

n.最低点，无底

参考例句：

• This failure was the nadir of her career.这次失败是她事业上的低谷。
• The demand for this product will reach its nadir within two years.对此产品的需求在两年内将达到最低点。

8 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》