Rabat – Said Chiba, head coach of the U-17 Moroccan national football team, spoke about the circumstances behind his team’s 2-0 defeat today against Ecuador in the second round of the U-17 World Cup group stage.
During the post match press interview, Chiba said that the main reason behind the Atlas Lions’ loss against their Ecuadorian counterparts was their physical condition.
“I previously mentioned that the problem will concern the physical aspect here in Indonesia. Although we took control of the first match, we physically regressed because Panama built barriers, let alone Ecuador which is one of the best teams,” Chiba told the press.
The coach explained that the key is to make use of one’s physical capacity when the opportunity comes to score goals and put pressure on the opponent. When this is not done, there comes a moment when the physical level decreases, he added.
“During the first half, we had energy to be able to stay organized, but in the second half, we lacked this physical capacity,” Chiba stated.
For the remaining days before the third match against Indonesia on November 16, Chiba said that the players need some rest to regain their strength.
For his part, Morocco’s goalkeeper Taha Benrhozil said that the team did well in the first half but did not seize the opportunity to score a goal.
“Let’s forget about this defeat and get ready to win the third match to qualify to the knockout stage,” Benrhozil concluded.
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