Morocco Coach Confident Ahead of Crucial World Cup Qualifier Against DRC

"The pressure exerted by the Congolese public will not undermine the will of the Atlas Lions," said national coach Vahid Halilhodzic. For the technician, the importance of the match could only generate this kind of behavior, "but these practices will not distract us," Halilhodzic said during the pre-match press conference.

"We came to Kinshasa to win and qualify for the World Cup. So we are very focused on the match this Friday," Halilhodzic assured. For him, "the match will be difficult for both teams due to the heat and humidity, but we must adapt to these conditions."

Regarding the players, the national coach announced that FC Barcelona striker Abdessamad Ezzalzouli will be unavailable for Friday’s match. "Abdessamad arrived from Barcelona with a knee problem and since the match will be played on an artificial pitch, which could lead to serious complications, we preferred to rest him and schedule individual training sessions for him, in preparation for the Casablanca match," he explained.

The first leg will be played on March 25 at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa at 4:00 pm (GMT+1), while the return leg is scheduled for March 29 at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca at 8:30 pm (GMT+1).