The final against Croatia becomes an inconvenience for Morocco: “It’s not the game we wanted to play”

Morocco still has a game to go and will do so on Saturday afternoon, for the 3rd place final of the World Cup. On November 20, an entire country would have signed up to play it, but on the eve of the challenge against Croatia for the “Final” of consolation, the mood and environment are completely different. Thus, at the press conference the day before, the head coaches of the national team that rewrote the history of African football, Walid Regragui, finds more than just difficulty getting ready for the race.

It remains to eliminate the toxins that dragged on for a long time after the match against France: Morocco left on the field the success that allowed the ‘Rooster’ de Deschamps to win the second consecutive world final, leaving Morocco the honors of a defeat suffered with absolute dignity. But in the 90th minute, in addition to the 2-0, the expenditure of mental energy also weighed, which was characterized above all in the post-match controversies about alleged aid and complicity to France with consequent official request to FIFA.

The “defeat” against France in the semi-final may also have left marks in the memory of Moroccan players

An epilogue that doesn’t suit a selection that has already made history and that dragged with it all the African people and the Asian continent in search of the biggest dream. disappeared, in “Derby” with the reigning world champions showing no mercy, heading into the semi-final already after just 5 minutes of play. Nothing was worth the heart and soul of a Morocco that repeatedly came close to scoring the goal that could have reignited the game, in the end everything stopped at the final whistle: “Honor to France” said coach Regragui at the conference “but when there are refereeing errors it is right to point out and there were some in the semifinal”. Thought is therefore still on the challenge with Les Bleus de Deschamps.

🇧🇷We wish France good luck, but I think we were penalized the failure to award a penalty and at least one yellow card not awarded. If with the penalty would we have qualified for the final? Can’t say but it was precisely the Sunday game we wanted to play, not this one🇧🇷 Declarations demonstrating total disarmament after the great enterprise cherished. As for the national team and its players, the batteries appear exhausted, without motivation. “This is a boring game to play, difficult to make it interesting and enrich it with meaning” admits Regragui “We’re certainly not going to risk any players who have experienced fatigue or problems.”

A clamorous white flag thus flies over the Moroccan headquarters, flown just a few hours earlier by its man, one of the most determined to raise African and Islamic pride. Perhaps the last note of realism from the coach, who has so far never made a mistake in interpreting the moves to be made with his selection and who knows the internal situation well. Statements that, however, clash with what Morocco has shown and demonstrated in this extraordinary World Cup. “We are going to try to conquer the 3rd place for Africa”, concludes Regragui at the end. But the first one to not believe anymore seems to be him.