Walid Regragui has revealed the key to the brilliant World cup run of Morocco in Qatar following their penalty shootout victory over Spain.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui has stated that ‘creating a family’ has been key to their incredible run at the World Cup.
Following their brilliant last-16 win over Spain, Regragui stated that: “I fought this a lot of times. Before this World Cup we had a lot of problems about guys born in Morocco and Europe. Sometimes people, including some journalists in this room, said these guys don’t love Morocco, why not play with the guys born in Morocco?
“We showed to the world that every Moroccan is Moroccan, when he comes with the national team he wants to die, wants to fight.
“I was born in France but nobody can take my heart from my country. My players give 100 per cent. Some players born in Germany, some in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France and every country has a football culture. You make this milkshake with that and get to the quarter-finals.
“Big congratulations to the players, they did something extraordinary, in the frenzy of energy, in the desire not to let go of this match.
“Since the start of the competition, we’ve been playing with a team that’s not 100 percent, that’s why it’s even more extraordinary.
“We’ve managed to create a family, and we feel that we have a people behind us.
“If you had told me before starting that we would face Croatia, Belgium and Spain without losing a match, I would have signed for it.”
Spain dominated possession against Morocco and had 13 shots and nine corners but Morocco was superb to take it to penalties and then claim the shock win.
On his game-place, Regragui said: “We had agreed not to take possession — not out of fear. We are humble enough to say that we are not yet France, Germany or England, to compete with them in terms of possession.
“Nobody managed to steal the ball from them, so I accepted not having the ball. I’m not a magician.
“Having closed so many passing lines for 120 minutes, we knew we would have chances — we had two, three, four.
“We did not know how to punish them. The game-plan was respected, we got to penalties, and then it’s a lottery.
“But when you have such a great goalkeeper in goal, you know you have a better chance of succeeding.”
