Friday, November 8, 2024 at 9:16 p.m.
Libreville – The footballing exploits achieved at the international level by the various Moroccan selections and the current dynamics of Moroccan Football are the fruits of an ambitious sports policy, affirmed, Friday in Libreville, the national coach of Gabon, Thierry Mouyouma.
For Thierry Mouyouma, who spoke at a press conference dedicated to the presentation of the players summoned to face Morocco as part of the 5th day of the qualifiers for the next African Cup of Nations, the latest results achieved by the various Moroccan selections, notably the qualification of the Atlas Lions for the semi-final of the 2022 World Cup, reflect the success of a sports policy put in place for years.
“Today, we must praise Morocco’s sporting efforts, particularly in football. Morocco aims to become the first African country in terms of sport,” he added, welcoming the strong political will aimed at promoting the practice of sport in its different facets.
In this sense, he stressed that Morocco now constitutes a model in the sporting field in Africa, noting that the Kingdom, which has succeeded in establishing a proactive and ambitious sports strategy, is currently reaping the fruits of this policy through exploits unpublished.
In this regard, the Gabonese coach highlighted the pioneering role played by the Mohammed VI Football Academy, inaugurated in 2010 by HM King Mohammed VI, in the training of high-level players, noting that Morocco has world-class sports infrastructure.
The former Gabonese international also welcomed the Kingdom’s efforts to contribute to the development of football as well as its initiatives to promote African football by making its infrastructure, particularly training centers and stadiums, available to African countries. and organizing continental and international sporting events.
On the other hand, the Panthers coach considered it necessary to strengthen cooperation in the field of sports between Morocco and Gabon, two sister countries which maintain close relations, calling for taking advantage of the Moroccan experience and its progress on a sporting level.
Returning to the match which will pit the Panthers against the Atlas Lions next Friday, he said that the ultimate objective of his players is to win the three points to validate their ticket to the CAN, without waiting for the result of their last match against the Central African Republic.
Highlighting the solidity of the defense of the Moroccan national team, which has only conceded one goal since the start of the qualifiers, he noted that the return of striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, absent during the double confrontation against Lesotho last October, will have a very positive impact on his teammates, who will try to infiltrate the Atlas Lions defense and achieve the desired goal.
“I think we learned from what went wrong in the first leg to put together the best possible team,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of team play during this match.
“Morocco won the first match but the Gabonese players were not realistic,” he continued, estimating, moreover, that the Moroccan defense is slower than the Gabonese attackers which could create the difference during of the next match.
Morocco, leader of Group B with 12 points, faces Gabon on November 15 in Franceville, more than 700 km from the capital Libreville, before hosting Lesotho on the 18th of the same month at the Oujda stadium of honor.
Gabon occupies second place with seven points, ahead of the Central African Republic (3 points), while Lesotho, already eliminated, is ranked fourth with a single point.
