DOHA — Morocco coach Walid Regragui has urged his team to
believe they can defeat powerhouse Spain as they attempt to reach a first World
Cup quarter-final.اضافة اعلان
The North African side are in the last 16 for only
the second time after advancing as winners of Group F ahead of 2018 runners-up
Croatia, having defeated Belgium and Canada in Qatar.
“It will be a very testing game for us. We’re coming
up against one of the best footballing nations in the world. I think they’re
one of the favorites to reach the final,” Regragui said on Monday.
“That said, we’ve also got things up our sleeve.
We’ve had one extra rest day compared to them and we’re going to try and pull a
surprise out of the bag.”
“If we’re able to send Spain packing I think this
will be a wonderful surprise not only for us but for our country.”
Spain denied Morocco a famous win at the 2018 World
Cup with a last-gasp equalizer in a 2–2 draw, the only point the Moroccans
picked up in Russia.
“We’re not seeking revenge at all. We’re not looking
at what happened in the past,” said Regragui, who was appointed in August.
“We’ve got a new generation and, for me, the
mentality has to change with the Moroccan team. All the negative aspects,
that’s the old Morocco, we’ve changed. Our country’s changed.”
Morocco, the lone Arab nation and the last African
team remaining in Qatar, will have the vocal backing of thousands of fans for
Tuesday’s game at Education City Stadium.
“We’ll come out swinging. We want to hoist the
Moroccan flag way up high. We’re playing first and foremost for us and our
country,” said Regragui.
“All Arabs and Africans, we want to make them happy.
We want their prayers and we want their support so it can give us that extra
ingredient to win. Before it was just the Moroccans that supported us.”
Morocco would become just the fourth African team to
reach the quarterfinals — after Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in
2010 — if they beat the 2010 champions.
Morocco’s only other appearance in the last 16 came
in 1986, when they lost 1–0 to eventual runners-up West Germany.
“I don’t think we should go out with any sort of
complex,” said Regragui.
“Yes, we’re the underdog, but we know what Spain are made of and the
recipe is easy. We shouldn’t be worried, we should have no regrets and give the
best of ourselves.”
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