Morocco’s Coach Renard Embraces Favorite Status for Africa Cup of Nations

Already well accustomed to African teams, Hervé Renard, who, at the age of 50 today, manages the Moroccan national team, has a career that positions him among the most respected technicians on the continent, or even in the world of football, period. The one who was discovered as Claude Leroy’s assistant in Ghana can boast of having allowed two different African teams to win the holy grail of football on the continent: Zambia in 2012 and Côte d’Ivoire in 2015. Morocco, which he has been leading for some time, is announced as one of the favorites of the 2019 CAN. The man is eagerly hoping to bring the trophy back to the Kingdom, especially after its distant triumph in Addis Ababa in 1976.

Speaking of his team’s debut, Renard affirms that "the match against Namibia is not a trap, because we know that Morocco is the favorite, and we have to assume it". The match actually saw the victory of the "Atlas Lions" over the "Brave Warriors", thus proving Hervé Renard right. Better, "it is not us who grant ourselves this status, but we assume it", boasts Renard, who says that "it had been a while since Morocco had been cited among the favorites of a CAN. We can therefore be proud".

Returning to Morocco’s defeats in the two preparation matches against Gambia (0-1) and Zambia (2-3), Hervé Renard blames his assistant Patrice Beaumelle, who, he says, "had made the players work too hard", without, however, he says, "holding it against him". However, to speak seriously, the French coach notes that "these two preparation matches came in the middle of heavy training sessions". But, also and, above all, it is that "the players had a long season and they arrive in the national team in variable form". And, therefore, "even if it’s always better to win, I don’t want to attach too much importance to these two defeats. What matters is the competition", he concludes.

What about a "Renard" method to win the CAN? The technician admits that a tournament is often won on details. You have to, he says, "show concentration at all times and know how to turn things in the right direction, at key moments. Also rely on a real collective".