Walid Regragui, national coach, spoke at a press conference this Friday, October 11, on the eve of the confrontation with the Central African Republic as part of the 3rd day of the qualifiers for the Morocco-2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
“We respect all the teams. All are equal. You have to show respect so as not to suffer during meetings. What interests me is the opposition of styles. It’s an opportunity for us to work more as CAN 2025 approaches,” begins the 49-year-old coach.
“When the president (Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the FRMF, editor’s note) asked us if we wanted to play in the Oriental, I did not hesitate to answer yes. It is a region which has given so much for national football. I am certain that the stadium will be full tomorrow. We are happy to see this large audience,” added the technician about the venue of the meeting, the Oujda Stadium of Honor.
“We would have liked to have our full squad. But it can happen. It’s even positive that this is happening to us right now. This is an advantage and a disadvantage. With our workforce, we are no longer afraid of absences. I have offensive choices. It’s especially behind that I have the opportunity to try new things,” says the former coach of Wydad de Casablanca.
“We know that (Noussair) Mazraoui is out injured. They (the Manchester United medical staff, editor’s note) sent a report to our medical staff. He will be with us in November. It’s not dangerous what he has,” reassured the coach about the left back, who suffers from an arrhythmia.
He then talks about his replacement: “Youssef (Belammari) is a very intelligent player, he adapts very quickly. I know his mentality and his football. He has his chance with the little glitch of Noussair Mazraoui to whom we wish a speedy recovery. In my head, there is Mazraoui, then Aznou. Bellaamri will perhaps bring us technical quality. We still have to check with the staff regarding their availability.”
“We can have very nice surprises in this position, as was the case for (Yahya) Attiat-Allah at the World Cup. The latter could also come back,” concludes the native of Corbeil-Essonnes (France) on this subject.
“Jamal (Harkass) had a good week of training. We know his experience in Botola. He has his chance. I have faith in him. He is one of the best central defenders in the championship. Some will not understand the timing of his summons, but I have confidence in his talent. He is a player who will play in the Club World Cup this season. He has experience,” continues the coach about the Wydad Casablanca defender.
“We are looking for a young goalkeeper with great potential. Even if Munir and Yassine are in good shape. It’s not easy to start a goalkeeper at 16 or 17 years old. This is an avenue we are working on,” said Regragui regarding this position.
Finally, Walid Regragui mentions Achraf Hakimi, right back who will be captain tomorrow in the absence of Romain Saïss and Hakim Ziyech: “He is a player who loves his country and this selection. He is an example for young people. I am very proud to have a player like Achraf as a coach.
