Morocco women’s futsal coach Adil Sayeh dedicated his team’s dramatic Africa Cup of Nations title win to Hicham Dguig, following their 3-2 comeback victory over Tanzania in Rabat.
The hosts lifted the first-ever Women’s Futsal AFCON trophy after coming from 2-0 down to seal a late win in front of home fans.
“We dedicate this win to Hicham Dguig because he helped us a lot. After God, he’s the one who brought me into the women’s team and gave me his trust,” Sayeh said. “Thank God I didn’t let him down. He deserves this. We also won’t forget the fans – they kept the belief when the players started to lose hope.”
Tanzania went two up in the first half through Katunzi and Rajabu. But Morocco pulled one back before the break thanks to Dhouha Madani. Idrissiya Krich equalised in the second half, and Jasmine Damraoui scored the winner in the final minute.
Sayeh said the win had special meaning because of the way the team fought back.
“We’ve been working hard for ten months. It was tiring, but today we saw the results. We give this trophy to His Majesty King Mohammed VI, our number one supporter,” he said.
He also thanked the Moroccan Football Federation and its president, Fouzi Lekjaa, for their backing.
“The Federation gave us everything. And I thank the fans – today was tough, but they helped us get over the line.”
“The players showed real character. If we had won easily, maybe people wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. But we stayed strong and got the job done. That’s what champions do.”
Morocco dominated the tournament from start to finish. They topped their group with big wins over Namibia (8-1) and Cameroon (7-1), eased past Angola 5-1 in the semi-final, and came from behind to beat Tanzania in the final.
The win means Morocco’s women join the men’s team in dominating African futsal. With this continental triumph, they have also booked their place at the Women’s Futsal World Cup in the Philippines later this year.
