Doha: Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s quarterfinal fixture at Khalifa International Stadium, Sektioui stressed that “the absence of several key players will not prevent the national team from exploiting its potential to win against Syria,” adding that “the match will be difficult.”

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the coach added that the technical staff plans to field the best possible lineup to ensure qualification for the semifinals, noting that exploiting Syria’s weaknesses is likely to make the task easier for the national team players in this face off.

The coach also said that match preparations are going well, in a similar fashion to other games in this competition, noting that the atmosphere within the team is “good and characterized by a spirit of solidarity, responsibility, seriousness, and professionalism.”

For his part, Syria’s coach José Lana said that his team “is preparing well for this game against Morocco, which has a strong team,” adding that “this match will be
an opportunity to develop Syria’s style of play for the future.”

Lana noted that the Syrian team “will focus on defense and putting pressure on the Moroccan players to prevent them from building their plays easily,” explaining that “Morocco has a solid team and its players are determined to shoot for greatness.”

The Moroccan national team finished the group stage in first place with 7 points, followed by Saudi Arabia (6 points), Oman (4 points), and Comoros (0 points).