2024-08-02 08:29:42
“We are very happy to have come much earlier. We were supposed to play against Gambia, but unfortunately, the match was cancelled at the last minute. We were forced to adapt,” he said in a statement to the website of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF).
“This allowed us to gain three days to be able to adapt to the climate of San Pedro, where it is very hot. It is beneficial for the players, so that their bodies get used to the heat,” he continued, thanking the Federation for having put in place the best possible conditions in terms of accommodation, staff, means of recovery, in addition to the training ground, in order to prepare well for the CAN.
“For our first match against Tanzania, the most important thing is to play this match with a full squad. We have put in place a style of play that we want to repeat at the CAN,” said Regragui.
“In the friendly match against Sierra Leone, played on Thursday,” he continued, “we tried to play at a time that is similar to that of our second match (at 2:00 p.m. HL against DR Congo, Editor’s note). We knew that the heat would be decisive for winning. These are difficult conditions for our players, who nevertheless did what was necessary, namely to impose themselves and produce a pleasant game.”
“Certainly, there are still details to correct, but we are confident in our potential,” he said, acknowledging the pressure on the players’ shoulders.
“We have fans and a people behind us. We don’t want to disappoint them,” he said, affirming that the players are motivated to go and get the trophy.
“We are all looking forward to reliving the same emotions as at the 2022 World Cup,” added the national coach.
The first training session of the Atlas Lions, open to the media, was scheduled for Saturday at 4:45 p.m. (local time), at the August Denise stadium in San Pedro.
Housed in Group F alongside Tanzania, the DR Congo and Zambia, the Moroccan selection will play its first match on January 17 against Tanzania.
2024-08-02 08:29:42