Morocco Coach Halilhodzic Sets Sights on 2022 World Cup Qualification

Reviewing the national team’s performance during the CAN-2022 qualification phase at a press conference held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé, the Franco-Bosnian coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, very determined, assures that he wants to continue with his men, exploits in order to go down in the history of Moroccan football. And he added, fully committed: "We will not go to the final phase of the Africa Cup of Nations next year in Cameroon for a stroll, but my main objective remains qualification for the 2022 World Cup after the last qualification which dates back to 2018 in Russia," he said before hoping that Morocco will regularly qualify for the World Cup.

"I like to win. I want to pass on this thirst for victory to my players, especially when we play away," said the technician, expressing confidence in the future, because, according to him, "the team will certainly progress."

Regarding the 2nd round of the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers which begins next June, where the Atlas Lions are ranked in Group I alongside Guinea-Bissau and Sudan, the coach says that there are no more small teams in Africa and notes that the level of the group is higher than that of the CAN, with three teams already qualified for the African Cup.

Vahid Halilhodzic pumped up

For the coach Vahid Halilhodzic whose team is already qualified for the CAN, it is a great achievement for a team in reconstruction, he points out. "We have the best defense in the qualifiers. All the lights are green. I’m not 100% satisfied, but we can improve," reassures Mr. Halilhodzic who declares that he came to Morocco to obtain good results and to develop the team.

Reacting to criticism of his performances, the coach thinks that one cannot be loved by everyone despite the results and affirms: "The best lawyer for the coach is the results. During the two matches against Mauritania, luck turned its back on us, in addition to the difficult conditions in Mauritania. I am sure that in the future the national team will be more competitive," he said positively.

On the question of the instability of the team in terms of player rankings, the technician acknowledges that calling up 50 players and having 47 play is a bit too much but he promises that the next stage will be marked by more stability in the team with competition in each position.

It should be noted that during the CAN-2022 qualifiers, Morocco finished top of Group E with a total of 14 points, after 4 wins and 2 draws. The national team had scored 10 goals and conceded only one goal in six matches, the best defense in the qualifiers.

After Morocco, Mauritania also qualified for the final phase of the CAN in Cameroon with 09 points ahead of Burundi and the Central African Republic by occupying second place with 9 units, ahead of Burundi (5 pts) and the Central African Republic which scored 4 pts.