Rabat: National team head coach Walid Regragui said on Sunday in Rabat that the Moroccan side knew it would have to suffer during this AFCON, stressing that the most important thing remains qualification for the quarter-finals.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Regragui expressed at the press conference following the AFCON Round of 16 match, which Morocco won 1-0 against Tanzania, “We knew the match would not be easy. At this stage of the competition, the most important thing is qualification.”

“In the first half, we made too many technical errors, which gave confidence to the opponent. The second half was more in line with our standards,” Regragui said.

The national coach highlighted that Morocco, playing at home, are obliged to press and go in search of goals, which inevitably leaves space at the back. “We conceded too many chances compared to our usual standards. The Tanzanians had two or three dangerous situations,” he added, considering that “the victory was deserved.”

In the quarter-finals, the Lions of the Atlas will face the winner of the clash between South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions.