Morocco’s Medhi Benatia Reflects on Early CAN Exit, National Team Retirement

The now former captain of the Atlas Lions, Medhi Benatia, is struggling to digest the elimination of his team from the CAN, even less by an opposing team (Benin, note) that "was not stronger than us".

The former Juventus defender reported that the Moroccan national team did not have the squad to win this competition. "Did we have the squad to win the CAN? I don’t think so. But did we have the squad to beat Benin? Obviously! What’s frustrating is to go out against a team that wasn’t stronger than us," he said, before condemning the technical staff.

According to him, the national team suffers from a serious lack of efficiency, in other words, of a striker, to finalize the collective efforts. The former captain regrets not having had, within the Atlas Lions, great players the size of Mahrez from Algeria.

"I think that’s what Morocco is missing. A center forward who scores 35 goals a season in a big club in Europe who comes and unlocks the games. That’s what we lacked throughout my career with the national team," he says, disappointed.