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Join on Telegram Morocco’s 1–0 win on Tuesday over Congo was the 16th straight win – a world record. But despite the history-making, the performance was followed by criticism from fans and the local press for a poorer-than-expected display against what they viewed as one of the weaker teams in the group.
Many expected a dominant display but Morocco found it hard to break down the deep-defending Congo team, having to win with one goal scored by Youssef En-Nesyri.
Players defend the team’s performance
Midfielder Ismail El Saibari confronted the criticism head on, “We have 16 wins, we have to be happy with this. No one in the world did it, so we can’t ignore this,” he said. “Yes, it’s only 1–0, but it’s hard to play against a low block. There were six of them behind, a 6–3–1 formation, so it’s hard to find spaces. But we created chances so we played a good game.”
When asked whether he anticipated this style of game, he answered, “Yes, now that we are a big nation, other teams just want to sit deep and not take goals. But it’s normal – that’s what you play against teams like Spain or Brazil, with a low block.”
Saibari ended with a message to the fans: “I hope they come in numbers and support us because we need it. We’ll do a great CAN, Inshallah.”
Goalkeeper Mounir El Kajoui also snapped back at the criticism, “There’s no better coach than Walid Regragui to do this with,” he said. “We have 16 straight wins and no other team in the world did it. If we see in the classification of the World Cup, it wasn’t an easy game. Even the big teams have their difficulties.”
Both players are making valid points; being consistent for the team is more important than the style of any victory. Fans may have wanted to see a larger scoreline, yet Morocco continue to maintain composure, manage games, and win, which reflects the team’s maturity and competence when facing a team that plays for a draw.
