Muyoma considered, during a press conference devoted to introducing the players who were called up to face the Moroccan national team in the fifth round of qualifiers for the upcoming African Cup of Nations, that the results achieved by the various Moroccan teams, most notably the Atlas Lions’ qualification to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, reflect the success of sports policy. Approved several years ago.
He added, “The efforts made by Morocco at the sports level should be praised, especially in the field of Football, as Morocco seeks to become the first African country at the sports level,” praising the strong political will aimed at promoting sports practice in its various aspects.
In this regard, he highlighted that Morocco now represents a role model in the sports 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 unprecedented achievements.
In this regard, the Gabonese national team coach pointed to the pioneering role played by the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which was opened by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2010, in training high-level players, pointing out that Morocco has a sports infrastructure with international standards.
The former Gabonese international player also praised the Kingdom’s efforts to contribute to the development of football, as well as its initiatives to advance African football by placing its infrastructure, especially training centers and stadiums, at the disposal of African countries, and organizing continental and international sporting events.
On the other hand, the coach of the “Panthers” team stressed the necessity of strengthening cooperation in the sports field between Morocco and Gabon, the two brotherly countries with whom there are close relations, calling for benefiting from the Moroccan experience and its progress at the sports level.
Regarding the match that will bring together the “Cheetahs” and the “Atlas Lions” next Friday, Thierry Muyoma explained that the main goal of his players is to win the three points to ensure qualification to the African Cup of Nations, without waiting for the result of their match against the Central African national team.
He praised the solidity of the Moroccan national team’s defense, which has only conceded one goal since the start of the qualifiers, noting that the return of striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was absent from the two matches against Lesotho last October, will have a positive impact on his teammates who will try to penetrate the Atlas Lions’ defense and achieve the desired goal.
The Gabonese coach said: “I think we learned lessons from the mistakes that occurred in the first leg to prepare the optimal team,” stressing the importance of team play during this match.
He added, “Morocco won the first match, and the Gabonese players were not realistic,” considering, on the other hand, that “the Moroccan defense is less quick than the Gabonese attackers, which may make the difference in the next match.”
Morocco, the leader of Group Two with 12 points, will face the Gabon national team next November 15 in Franceville, more than 700 kilometers from the capital Libreville, before hosting Lesotho on the 18th of the same month at the Stade de Honor in Oujda.
Gabon ranks second with 7 points, ahead of the Central African Republic (3 points), while Lesotho, which was eliminated from the competition, ranks fourth with one point.
Edited by Le360 with W.M.A
On 09/11/2024 at 14:00, updated on 09/11/2024 at 14:00
