Al-Karaki’s Response to South Africa’s Takeover of Morocco

Walid Regragui, manager of Morocco, said he expected difficulties against South Africa, which the Atlas Lions lost 2-1 on Saturday, in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Recragui said in a press conference after the match: “Before going to South Africa, I said that all the teams want to beat us. The opponent did well and played well.”

He added: “We made a few mistakes early in the match…and I made a few substitutions in the second half to get back.”

He continued: “The early goal gave the South Africans confidence. We played better in the second half and we had a few chances that we didn’t take advantage of, but I’m pleased with the performance of some players and disappointed with the level of others.”

And the Moroccan coach added: “The competition on the African continent is different. We learned a lot from this match, especially since I gave a group of players a chance to see their level, but we need to recover quickly from this match.”

He concluded: “The result did not affect the trip after qualifying for the African Cup of Nations, so I’m not upset because we learned a new lesson that we needed.”

This showdown was a foregone conclusion as the Moroccan and South African teams qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group 11 in previous rounds.

Today’s defeat was the first for the wards of coach Walid Rakraki since their brilliant performance at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and fourth place.

Source: agencies