Said Chiba, the head coach of Morocco, expressed pride in his team’s effort and tenacity despite their inability to win the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria.
In the final on Friday night at the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Senegal overcame a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Moroccans 2-1. Despite being devastated by the result, Chiba had nothing but respect for his team.
“Our players displayed honorable behavior. Starting with the King, who has been our biggest supporter, we thank everyone for their wonderful assistance. After the game, Chiba remarked, “We congratulate the Academies and all the technical centers that prepared these athletes.
“The result is harsh on the players at this age, but we will take it in,” adds Chiba. I told them that this is football and that I was happy of how they played.
The strategist described the match as being challenging and competitive, stating that his men gave it everything they had to try and bring home the victory.
“This was a fantastic game worthy of a championship. We commend Senegal on their performance and great teamwork, and we equally commend ourselves for our focus and effectiveness. Despite losing in the final, there were many lessons to be learned from the competition. We had a terrific method to be ready for the World Cup with this,” Chiba said.
“We will strive to build on the flaws we have witnessed,” he continued. “We will draw a lot of lessons from the competition. We are a stronger team heading into the World Cup, and we will do everything in our power to honorably represent Africa.
After making their World Cup debut in 2013, Morocco achieved history by reaching the final and will be participating in their second World Cup.
