Morocco’s coach Tarik Sektioui emphasized the team’s ambition to win the FIFA Arab Cup following their 3-1 victory over Comoros.,Sektioui highlighted the team’s need to maintain focus and avoid complacency despite recent successes.Morocco’s coach Tarik Sektioui has stated that the team must aim to win the FIFA Arab Cup, expressing this ambition after their 3-1 victory against Comoros in the tournament opener. The Moroccan side scored twice in the opening 11 minutes and added a third goal before halftime at Khalifa International Stadium.
Morocco has seen a significant rise in footballing success in recent years, including a run to the semi-finals of the senior World Cup and winning the U-20 World Cup in October. Sektioui, who also led Morocco to the African Nations Championship title in August, made his intentions clear. “Our objective is to win all our games, starting with getting past the group stage, then winning in the quarter-finals and semi-finals to reach the final match, which we intend to win to secure the trophy,” he told FIFA. He added, “Morocco is a lodestar for Arab and African football, and in any tournament we enter, we must strive to win the title.”
Despite being tipped for the trophy, Sektioui stressed that complacency is not an issue. “Our ambition doesn’t mean that we’ll play with arrogance and presumption,” he stated. “On the contrary, we know that the road to the final isn’t a bed of roses. There are heavyweight teams in this tournament, some of whom will be at the next World Cup, so our ambition is to be ready to achieve what we’re aiming for.”
Sektioui credited the team’s collective mindset for avoiding upsets that befell other favorites like Tunisia and Qatar earlier in the competition. “I thank the players for what they gave on the pitch,” he said. “The match was not an easy one, going up against a team with very talented players, especially out wide and in midfield.”
Goals from Soufiane Bouftini, Tarik Tissoudali, and Karim El Berkaoui secured Morocco’s lead by halftime. Comoros scored in the 56th minute through an own goal by Mohamed Boulacsout, but Morocco maintained control. “We saw what happened with Tunisia and Qatar, so I thank the players for the mentality they played with,” Sektioui remarked. “They played seriously in the second half, while our opponents tried to push to make up the deficit. That’s why we turned to counter-attacks, although we were unable to convert several chances.”
Karim El Berkaoui, who was named Player of the Match, echoed the coach’s sentiments about the tournament’s high standard. “It was not an easy match – there are no easy matches in the Arab Cup,” he said. “The standard in this tournament is very high, so the most important thing was to take the three points so we can play the upcoming matches with greater confidence.”
Morocco’s next match is against Oman on Friday, followed by a group-stage finale against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
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