In the framework of the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Morocco defeated Zambia on Friday (2-1) at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir. Coach Walid Regragui reacted after the match to this hard-fought victory.
Despite Hakim Ziyech opening the scoring in the 6th minute with a penalty, which might have suggested that the Atlas Lions would dominate, it wasn’t the case. It took until the 67th minute for Eliesse Ben Seghir to double the lead, and Edward Chilufya even managed to pull one back towards the end of the game (80th minute), which could have caused some nerves although it didn’t really. A hard-fought victory for Morocco, but a victory nonetheless. With 6 points from 2 matches, the job is done before the match against Congo on Tuesday at the
same venue.
“Everyone was playing for themselves”
In the post-match press conference, Walid Regragui didn’t deny the disappointing performance displayed by his team. “Difficult match. We started well and then we fell asleep. Everyone was playing for themselves. It was a good match otherwise, the main thing is to qualify, we got 3 points. In the second half, it was better. There was a bit more rhythm.” Before expressing some regrets: “What can annoy me today is the Zambian goal, we stayed within shooting distance of the opponents. Well done to the boys because these aren’t easy matches in June. We thought about making a defensive change, but it’s the goal that made me change my mind. I also thought about finishing with three at the back, but I didn’t want to send a negative message to the boys by doing that,” he explained.
“Look at the results in Africa”
Regragui also highlighted the time needed to integrate Brahim Diaz and Ben Seghir, who arrived in March, into his eleven. “To play all these players together, it will take time. Sometimes, yes, they get in each other’s way. We have a good problem with talent. Good players can play together. Brahim (Diaz, editor’s note) arrived after the Champions League, (Achraf, editor’s note) Hakimi finished the season exhausted. It will come! The changes allowed us to maintain the same rhythm, sometimes even more rhythm,” continued the Moroccan coach.
Before concluding: “Scoring two goals at home is good. Look at the results in Africa, there are no more 4 or 5-0. We’re not going to expect the same performance against Congo, but I want the 3 points like tonight. Against Congo, we’ll try to score as much as possible and concede as little as possible. Then there’s the reality of the pitch.” It will be next Tuesday, again at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir.
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