Futsal AFCON 2024: Hicham Dguig Says Match Against Ghana Was Difficult

Rabat – On Saturday, during a Morocco-Ghana post-match press conference, Morocco’s national futsal coach Hicham Dguig commented on the game, saying it was difficult because the opponent formed a defensive block.

“Ghana played all their cards, which created some difficulties for us,” Dguig said, highlighting that his squad also made mistakes. However, “in the second half, we managed to catch up and keep the lead because we returned to our usual pattern of play,” the coach added.

The game was part of the second group stage match of the 2024 futsal Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which took place at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

Despite beating Ghana with a large margin 8-3, Dguig seemed unsatisfied with the result, emphasizing that his players made some mistakes which could have affected the final scoreline.

“In the first half, we made a number of individual errors that prevented us from keeping our lead,” he told the press, adding that “we faced a tough opponent who stuck to their defensive position.”

Fortunately, the coach added, “we made the necessary corrections in the second half that enabled us to make the difference, particularly towards the end of the match.”

This futsal AFCON seventh edition marks Morocco’s second hosting of the prestigious event. According to the national coach, “our status as favorites means we have to play well against teams who are over-motivated because they know they are facing the team to beat.”

Champions and defending champions of the last edition in 2020, Dguig stressed the need to maintain our level to make the Moroccan fans more happy by clinching a third title.

Looking forward to leading the group A standings, the coach noted that “the match against Zambia will be decisive for us as we want to qualify for the semi-finals on top of our group, which is good for the players’ morale.”

Praising Morocco as one of the best teams continentally and globally, Ghana’s coach Philip Boakye stated that Morocco has a strong team with a wealth of experience, and its victory was logical.

“We went into this match with tactical changes that unfortunately didn’t work against Morocco,” Boakye said, pointing out that Ghana’s technical staff will draw the necessary lessons from this defeat to make up for any shortcomings.