National coach Walid Regragui said on Tuesday that competition for places on the national football team is fierce. «There's competition between the players we have available, and the tougher the competition, the more choices I have, as coach, to have the most exemplary squad possible», Regragui enthused at a press conference held at the Mohammed V Football Complex in Salé, ahead of the Moroccan national team's matches against Gabon on November 15 in Franceville and Lesotho on November 18 at the Stade d'Honneur in Oujda, as part of the CAN-2025 qualifiers (Matchdays 5 and 6). «The national team has grown with a great squad and we've become the football nation we wanted to be. We've been in the world's Top 13 for two years now, and that's a strong point that attracts talented players», added the national coach. With regard to preparations for the CAN-2025, the coach stressed that the national team still had a few matches left to fine-tune its work, noting that «the important thing for us is to be ready for the CAN, at home, because we have a duty to achieve results and be at a good level». Regarding the absence of Hakim Ziyech, Regragui pointed out that «Ziyech has had almost two months without competition. He has to work with his team and as soon as he reaches his level, he'll be with us». Returning to Adam Masina's call-up, the national coach explained that he wanted to see how the Torino player, who has switched positions to become a central defender, develops. «We are in a progression of work and we can see other profiles joining the national team», he added.
