Khaberni - Walid Regragui, the coach of the Moroccan football team, emphasized on Tuesday in Rabat the need not to "give Nigeria the chance to catch its breath," during their encounter on Wednesday in the semi-finals of the African Nations Cup.
Regragui said at a press conference on the eve of the match: "It has been a long time since Morocco participated in the semi-finals of the African Cup, this being the first time in 22 years, and only the third in our history (1980 in Nigeria). We are happy about that. But Nigeria is participating in its seventeenth semi-final, which underscores its strength and consistency. This is good for African football, and we hope to rise to the occasion."
He added: "They have the style and the means. We cannot allow ourselves to repeat what happened in the first half against Tanzania when we struggled to get into the game, or in the last 20 minutes against Cameroon when we relaxed. It will be a major test match for us, but also for them, as they have yet to face an opponent of this level."
He continued: "We must not give Nigeria the opportunity to catch their breath and come back into the game; all that matters to us is winning. This match is among the most important in our history since the World Cup semi-final in Qatar in 2022. In the World Cup, it was a surprise, but now we are rightfully here and the goal is to make history since we have not been in the final for 22 years."
He explained: "Some might think we appeared strong, but we were suffering from injuries and have players who need to regain their fitness. We risked in a calculated manner. Our performance against Cameroon reassured our fans. We are in good physical and mental state, but we will face a team that has overcome the disappointment of being knocked out of the World Cup. We need to confirm that in the match."
