Morocco’s Fayçal Fajr Aims for Glory at Africa Cup of Nations

Fayçal Fajr intends to approach the CAN with a lot of serenity, a difference in professionalism and in work, compared to the club. For the midfielder of the "Atlas Lions", the objective of the national team, in going to Egypt, is clear: "We know that we have a top group, which lives well, which works well. A family! We’re going there to show what we’re capable of and to go as far as possible. According to the observers, the bookmakers, we are one of the favorite teams...", details the Caen player, who intends to go as far as possible in this competition: "I want to go to the final. With all the respect I have for all the African teams, Morocco has its say".

Fayçal Fajr’s commitment as well as his patriotism are striking. The player says he is ready to sacrifice everything for his homeland: "I am ready to die on the field for my country. The rage is in me and I will always have it. And it’s even worse when I wear the Moroccan jersey. There is something that transcends me and makes me even stronger. I feel something that you can’t feel in a club", he says.

Among other memorable memories, Fayçal mentions, in particular, the 2004 CAN that he watched on television and that Moroccans will never forget. "It’s the last final of Morocco in a CAN, with a defeat against Tunisia (1-2). No one saw this team doing something. And, hop, final! I have memories as if it were yesterday", recounts the midfielder, all excited and determined to make Moroccans forget this memory.

Discussing his relationship with Hervé Renard, Fayçal confides that "there is respect in the work and outside. A human respect. It’s going well. He came, he established something, he knows the mentality of Africa, he knows how it works. We gave him objectives to achieve, he achieved them". As for his future, the player has a good idea: "I don’t want to play with Caen, in Ligue 2. I told Gilles Sergent, who was President but is no longer: they wanted it to come out of my mouth. My goal has always been to play at the highest level, so in the first division".