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Rabat – Said Chiba, the head coach of Morocco’s U-17 national football team, discussed his team’s 2-0 victory over Panama in today’s U-17 World Cup opening game.
Chiba said that his players were technically better than their opponents in the post-game press conference. However, the harsh weather in Surabaya caused them to be exhausted.
“The match, as we expected, was difficult in such a climate. Technically, we controlled the first twenty minutes, and we had many chances. Unfortunately, we were not able to score them,” the coach added.
He went on to say that “the match became a little difficult for the players, as the opposing team appeared to be more adapted to this atmosphere.”
Chiba emphasized that his team made an effort to be as organized as they could be and seize the chances that came their way.
“We had the opportunity to end the match early, but the goal was to win 3 points, which will be important for us,” Chiba explained.
Following the game, he highlighted several positive aspects of the Moroccan national squad, stating that there is harmony among the players and that they often succeed to reach the opponent’s goal.
“We showed that we are strongly present. We just need to adapt to this atmosphere and work to deal intelligently with the match,” the coach stated.
He also addressed the areas for improvement, noting that the Panama national team’s striker presented challenges, and that the Atlas Lions still need to learn from their mistakes and do better for the next game.
The national team will play their Ecuadorian counterpart on November 13 in the second round, while they will play the tournament’s host nation, Indonesia, on November 16 in the third round.
Read also: Adam Aznou Disappointed Over Exclusion From Morocco’s U17 World Cup Squad
