I am proud to have played and coached in the Emirates

The coach of the Moroccan national team, Tariq Al-Saktiwi, stressed the difficulty of the upcoming confrontation against the UAE national team, tomorrow, Monday, in the semi-finals of the Arab Cup, stressing that the ultimate goal of the Moroccan national team is to win and obtain the ticket to qualify for the final match.

Al-Saktioui explained that the Moroccan national team seeks to deal intelligently with the difficulties of every stage it goes through during the tournament, describing the national team’s players as “ambassadors of Moroccan football,” noting that they represent the aspirations of about 40 million Moroccans.

The Moroccan national team coach stressed that the confrontation against the UAE national team will not be easy, given that the UAE national team has a group of distinguished players capable of making a difference during the match.

Al-Saktiwi said during the introductory press conference for the match: “One of the strengths of the UAE national team is that it has distinguished players, especially on the offensive level, and they are capable of making a difference.”

He stressed the importance of defensive cohesion and the closeness of the lines, in addition to the necessity of maintaining focus throughout the 90 minutes to reduce the danger of the UAE national team players.

The Moroccan national team coach revealed that the team faced great difficulties since the beginning of preparations for the tournament, but it is working to overcome them and achieve the desired goal.

Al-Saktiwi indicated his happiness with the return of player Abdul Razzaq Hamdallah to the national team and participating in tomorrow’s match, noting that his return makes the difference.

Regarding the presence of a number of professional Moroccan national team players in the UAE League, he said: “I extend my thanks to the UAE, its government and people, and I am proud to have previously played in the UAE League, worked as a coach in it, and had the honor of being close to the Emiratis.”

Al-Saktiwi described Emirati football as a pioneer in the Gulf region, considering that the professionalism of a number of Moroccan national team players in the Emirati league represents an additional motivation factor for the players, and also gives the Emirati national team players a good knowledge of their competitors.

The Moroccan national team coach stressed that the development of Moroccan football did not come from a vacuum, but rather is the result of continuous work, support and continued interest.

Al-Saktiwi concluded his speech by saying: “Even the best football players in the world, such as Ronaldo, Messi and Ronaldinho, mathematically, they only have possession of the ball for a maximum of three minutes during the 90 minutes.”