Morocco and became the first African team in history to reach the top four of the tournament. Their performance in Qatar is a sensation, but certainly not a coincidence. First, they showed up great in the group (0-0 with Croatia, 2-0 with Belgium, 2-1 with Canada), and then they eliminated Spain on penalties (3-0) and Portugal. They have only conceded one goal in five matches. Let’s repeat: one!
Walid Regragui has been in the squad for less than four months, and his team has developed a unique style based on active defense, because although Morocco primarily focuses on defense, they attack the ball in almost every sector of the pitch. But he rarely holds the ball. Against Canada alone, they had over 50 percent possession. 27 percent failed in the knockout stage.
We’ll play the way we know how. What percentage of ball possession would suit you? 70% to shoot twice on goal? I’ll tell Infantina [szef FIFA]to give teams a point if their possession exceeds 60 percent,” the Moroccan joked at a press conference. And then it just sped up.
“We’re here to win, not to fight for as much possession as possible. We do everything not to be defeated. And that’s it. I don’t think the French will allow us to have a lot of possession. Manchester City has 70 per cent as a rule, but who plays there? Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. With them you will often have the ball. I know that Europeans criticize us, but you can think about tiki-taka if you have performers for it. I only care about winning. We must win for Africa and for developing countries. There is not just one right style. Look at France against England (2-1), they had less possession but won. They are the best. France in 2018 made me dream. Didier Deschamps is the best in the world. I hope France will ignore us. If they don’t, we’ll have a hard time,” the Moroccan coach said.
When is France vs Morocco?
Morocco will face the winner of the England-France match in the semi-finals. The match starts on Saturday at 20. Live coverage on Sport.pl and in the Sport.pl LIVE application. Argentina will play Croatia in the first semi-final. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 20:00.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
