Regragui: "It would be a surprise to eliminate Spain, one of the World Cup favourites"

Wahid Regragui is aware of the huge challenge that awaits the Morocco team on Tuesday at Education City.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
05 December 2022 Monday 05:34
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Regragui: "It would be a surprise to eliminate Spain, one of the World Cup favourites"

Wahid Regragui is aware of the huge challenge that awaits the Morocco team on Tuesday at Education City. Despite finishing first in the group and facing second place, Spain is by no means a prize. "It will be a difficult match, because it is one of the favorites to win the World Cup," he acknowledged at the press conference prior to the round of 16 matchup in Qatar.

"This match is very difficult for us, we are up against one of the best teams in the world," said Regragui, 47, who took over as coach just over three months ago and managed to regroup a disorganized dressing room. During his time as a footballer, he played for two seasons with Racing Santander and was capped 52 times with Morocco.

"Spain is one of the favorites to win the World Cup; it would be a big surprise if we won, but we are going to try. Here, for us, every game is a final. This will be our fourth final here," said the North African coach during the conference official FIFA press conference that took place this Monday in Doha.

Another footballer who knows Spanish football well is Munir El Kajoui. Bono's substitute goalkeeper started the second match against Belgium in which the Atlas lions slammed their fists across the table to show the world their qualities.

The Saudi Al-Wehda goalkeeper, born in Melilla 33 years ago, commented on how he sees his rival. "Spain always goes out to win their games, they are a great team that comes out to be the protagonist. They have a lot of patience and for us we know that it will be very difficult, but we are going to try to fight with our weapons," he replied. Munir started in the last match between both teams, four years ago in the World Cup in Russia (2-2).

"We are going to try to compete with them and we are going to try to win," he declared on the eve of the round of 16 match that his team will play against Spain, which he considers "one of the great favourites" in the tournament.

"We know that we have to give 200 percent. For us this game is a final. We have to try to compete and give the maximum level," said the goalkeeper from Melilla, who points to the bench -the starter will presumably be Sevilla's Bono- `but that he claimed to be "prepared, one hundred percent."

"For me it is a pride to be in my second World Cup representing my country. We want to continue making history," said Munir, whose team equaled, by going to the round of 16, his best result in a World Cup: the one he had achieved in Mexico'86, in a tournament in which they came first in the group and fell in the round of 16 against Germany, the finalist of the World Cup that would be won by Argentina led by Diego Armando Maradona.

"We want to win, above all, to make all these people happy; the support they give us is tremendous," Munir declared during the official press conference that took place at the Qatar National Convention Center. "We want to return all the love they give us; we are very grateful and proud of them; and we want them to feel proud of us," the goalkeeper of the Moroccan National Team said on Monday before the match that will face Luis' Spain. Enrique at Al Rayya's Education City Stadium.