Morocco national team coach Walid Rekragui confirmed on Monday that his team is counting on its values, quality and qualifications to “make a surprise against Spain” on Tuesday in the Qatar 2022 World Cup final price.
Rekragui said at a press conference on the eve of the match: “We expect a difficult game, but similar to our confrontations with Croatia, Belgium and Canada (in the first round), I have been saying this to the players since we entered the competition in this competition that we will play the finals, it will be our fourth final, we will enter to win like our predecessors, with our values, qualities and qualifications.
He added: “I think it will be a very difficult match for us. We will face one of the best football clubs in the world, with a lot of ambition. They are one of the favorites to win the title and we are bound to prove our worth. We are well prepared and will try really create a surprise. If we manage to eliminate Spain, it will be a nice surprise for us and for Morocco.”
He continued: “It’s an important match for us, and I hope they will be even more so in the future. But today, I told the players, the 1986 team cannot go back to playing their match against West Germany, and they cannot qualify for the quarter-finals, so we have 24 hours to prepare for this match.” Enter history and be the first to reach it. This achievement deserves to make every effort not to regret it, because failure can make us regret this opportunity.
And the “Atlas Lions” lost with great difficulty against Germany in the round of 16 of the Mexico 1986 World Cup after a heroic steadfastness, which was broken by a free-kick goal by the famous star Lothar Matthaus in the last minutes.
The former Racing Santander player explained that his knowledge of Spanish football is one of the strengths of the Moroccan national team, we can do it with our feet on the ground.
And he added: “But we respect the Spanish national team, and I think they will respect us too. It’s a balanced final price that will be decided by simple details and reasons.”
And he highlighted: “Now they have the DNA of great competitions. We haven’t played the final price for 36 years, and it is on this that I have to work hard with the technical staff, and manage this type of match in order to be able to reach the goal , although it will be difficult because Al-Kabeer teams confirmed his high heels in the playoffs, and we also have to show our high heels in creating a surprise.
He added: “Spain are one of the best teams in the world because they know what they are doing and possess the ball in a way that hurts the opposition and the fans. Their ball possession in recent matches has been 70 per cent, and we will accept that. whether we like it or not, but we have our weapons and I won’t reveal them. We left possession for Croatia and Belgium, it’s football. Japan beat Germany (2-1) with 17% possession, then Spain (2-1) with 20 percent, and Saudi Arabia beat Argentina with the same result and possession. I hope Spain don’t know what to do with the ball tomorrow.”
He continued: “I think they have a great manager. I like his personality and the way he takes the pressure off the players, and I’m happy to be facing a manager of (Luis) Enrique’s calibre.”
But “We have to keep focused. I loved the second half of the match against Canada, because it allowed us to judge the group when they were in a difficult situation, and it was necessary to run, press and decide, and if we can do the same against the Spaniards, we will achieve our goal”.
Rekragui explained his words regarding Morocco’s ability to win the World Cup ahead of Canada’s match in the first round, and said, “People should understand that I didn’t say we will win the World Cup, even if we wanted to. but what I want means that everything is possible in football and we tell our children that.” Also, you have to dream to reach the top ranks, if you tell a kid who works in construction workshops that you can’t be an important person in your life, he won’t make it, and we in Africa have never won the World Cup so why not we dream of the World Cup and winning it is a positive message for the future”.
He concluded by saying: “So if we enter with the mind that we won’t win the World Cup, we will be defeated tomorrow. If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t be here today.”
