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Rabat – Head coach of the Moroccan national football team Hervé Renard said that his Atlas Lions will play their last match against Spain as if they were trying to qualify for the next phase of the 2018 World Cup.
In a pre-match press conference held today in Kaliningrad, Renard said that the most difficult thing is “to play such a game, knowing that we will have to pack and go home and leave the competition.”
He added that the loss is easier to accept “when you are not up to the job.” Morocco will play its last game on June 25.
The coach, however, was in high spirit, emphasizing that the team has to be professional, especially “since we are going to play a team for which we need to be fit from a psychological point of view.”
Accompanied by goalkeeper Munir Mohand Mohamedi, Renard said: “We have to force ourselves to find something to fight for so that we can compete in the best possible psychological conditions.”
For Renard, it is unjust to be “already eliminated,” recalling the injustice Morocco faced in the Portugal clash.
Renard also praised Moroccan fans, who showed support for the Moroccan national team throughout the first phase of the tournament.
In the Morocco-Portugal match on June 20, US referee Mark Geiger denied Morocco three penalty kicks during the game. In addition, he refused to use the VAR to determine whether Cristiano Ronaldo’s was legitimate.
Moroccan football fans are expected to protest in a special way during the Morocco-Spain game on June 25. The fans will carry white wipes and banners with clear messages addressed to FIFA.
