The coach of Morocco's under-20 football team, Mohamed Ouahbi, stated on Wednesday in Cairo that the Atlas Cubs are determined to compete in the upcoming World Cup in Chile as African champions. Speaking at the pre-semi-final press conference of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U20), where Morocco is set to face the host country Egypt on Thursday, the national coach assured that his players' ambition is to reach the final and win it, thus heading to the World Cup crowned with continental glory. Morocco secured its ticket to the World Cup following a 1-0 extra-time victory over Sierra Leone in the quarter-finals on Monday. Regarding preparations for the semi-final, Ouahbi noted that they are progressing as planned, emphasizing the need for players to recover after the demanding last match in order to approach the semi-final against Egypt with the necessary physical and mental freshness. «We respect the Egyptian team», added the national coach, highlighting that «even though tomorrow's match will not be easy», the Atlas Cubs will spare no effort to secure victory. National team player Saad El Haddad, for his part, stated that he expects a tough match against an opponent with the advantage of playing at home and in front of their crowd, assuring that his teammates are fully aware of the stakes and will give their best to reach the final. Meanwhile, Egypt's coach, Oussama Nabih, expressed his happiness over his team's qualification for the World Cup, hoping to see this generation of young Pharaohs shine in the future. He also expressed admiration for the level reached by various Moroccan football teams, which continue to excel on both continental and global stages. The Moroccan and Egyptian teams will face off on Thursday at Cairo's 30 June Stadium (7:00 PM) in the AFCON U20 semi-final. The other semi-final will see Nigeria clash with South Africa in Ismailia (4:00 PM).
