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Rabat – Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui praised the Moroccan national team’s capabilities in an interview with FIFA, saying that the squad had “a lot of quality.”
“We’re fortunate to have an array of talent at our disposal and also players who have matured at great clubs,” Regragui said. “The Moroccan people should be proud of having stars who play in the Champions League and at clubs such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.”
The coach praised three players in particular, citing Ayoub El Kaabi’s goal scoring abilities, Yassine Bounou’s goalkeeping chops, and the speed of Achraf Hakimi.
Speaking on the team’s qualification to back-to-back World Cups, the coach extended thanks to the Moroccan federation and its president, emphasizing that the achievement is a first in the last 20 years.
“As I said in the press conference, I’m not here to find excuses,” he added. “Our goal is to do our best in the World Cup and make our fans proud.”
“If we get past the group stage, a feat we have only achieved once, in 1986, then it could be regarded as a successful campaign,” Regragui said, adding that it will be no easy feat in such a tough group.
Morocco’s national team is seen as the underdog in its group, which includes the runners-up and third-place finishers from Russia’s 2018 World Cup, Croatia and Belgium, in addition to Canada.
“We’ll fight hard, but it’s hard to make promises. The one thing I can promise, however, is that we’ll give it everything,” Regragui concluded.
FIFA’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar is set to begin later this month, and will be the first to be held in an Arab country.
In preparation for the competition, Morocco’s national team is holding a friendly match against Georgia in the UAE before making their way to Doha.
