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Rabat – Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui has expressed his dissatisfaction with the national football team’s performance following their goalless draw against Mauritania in a friendly game Tuesday night.
In a post-match statement to SNRTNews, Regragui criticized the team’s performance and expressed concerns about the team’s lack of intensity. “Today, we simply weren’t up to the task,” he said.
“We can’t be pleased with this performance, particularly in the first half of the game …we needed to be more clinical in such games,” Regragui added.
The coach acknowledged the challenges faced when playing at home, noting, “It’s important for my players to understand that our opponents will often employ time-wasting tactics when visiting our turf. We must adapt and find ways to create scoring opportunities.”
Despite the draw, Regragui emphasized the importance of learning from such matches and stressed the need for the team to find solutions to break through defensive lines and create scoring opportunities.
The disappointing result comes on the heels of the Atlas Lions’ early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier in the year. The team, which was considered one of the favorites to win the tournament, was eliminated in the round of 16.
Hopes were high for Morocco’s national team following their impressive performance in the 2022 World Cup, where they made history as the first Arab and African country to reach the tournament’s semifinals.
The goalless draw against Mauritania has added to the frustrations of fans, many of whom directed criticism towards Regragui for the team’s performance.
However, the coach remains hopeful that such a match will help the Atlas Lions to come back from their shortcomings, as they prepare for upcoming tournaments, including the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled for June.
