Morocco Coach Regragui Backs Struggling Striker En-Nesyri Ahead of Paraguay Friendly

Like many Moroccans, the coach of the Moroccan national football team is concerned about the Moroccan striker of FC Seville. He is increasingly criticized and booed by Seville supporters, due to his lack of performance on the pitch. But this did not prevent the coach from including him in the list of 31 players called up to face Chile and Paraguay in friendly matches.

For Walid Regragui, the fact that Youssef En-Nesyri is going through a difficult period should not make us forget that he remains a great player with an impressive record. He adds that he is working hard to get back in shape and deserves a chance to go to the World Cup. "You ask me if he will be present at the World Cup, I tell you that he will be there insha’allah [...] Whether he scores or not, we will support him because he also represents the future," Regragui said at the press conference.

He calls on Moroccans to remain in solidarity with the player who needs understanding more than criticism. "En-Nesyri, he’s our son. He’s the child of the country. He made us proud when he scored goal after goal in Seville [...]. Now he’s going through a complicated period. If he deserves to play, he’ll play, otherwise he’ll be on the bench, but we’ll encourage him to regain confidence. It’s not the Spaniards who will help him regain confidence, but us Moroccans," said Walid Regragui, in Darija.

He stressed that he will not bargain his support for the player. "If we want this family spirit, we have to support and not break," he specified, calling on Youssef En-Nesyri not to give up.