The national coach, Mohamed Wahbi, confirmed on Monday in Bloemfontein that the most important thing is to maintain focus and respect the opponent during the match that will bring together the Moroccan national team and its counterpart Lesotho, for the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Wahbi said, during a press conference on the eve of this encounter, that "this is one of our goals among others. The circumstances are different, but we must maintain our focus on what we do well." He considered that the best way to deal with this type of match is to "focus on ourselves, adapt to the circumstances, and not look for excuses." He explained that new players will be gradually introduced, in a continuous process, emphasizing that the Moroccan national team is present with all its elements in Bloemfontein, with the exception of Nayef Aguerd who is continuing his recovery protocol. He stated that the squad trained yesterday with all its elements, adding that "for tomorrow's match, we have many options." Wahbi also warned against "falling into the trap of complacency by claiming that we are the favorites to win or anything else," stressing the need to "be prepared 100%, deal with the match seriously, and respect the opponent."
For his part, Moroccan international Issa Diop expressed his teammates' determination to give their best during this match that will pit the Crocodiles of Lesotho against the Atlas Lions, at 3 PM (1 PM GMT), at the Free State Toyota Stadium. After the first round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Morocco leads Group A with three points and a goal difference of (+2), ahead of Niger, which also has three points (+1). The Lesotho national team, which lost last Friday to Niger by a goal to nil, occupies the last position without points, alongside Gabon.
