Morocco's coach Tarik Sektioui reflected on three key shortcomings he believes cost the Atlas Lions against Harambee Stars.
Morocco’s coach Tarik Sektioui has opened up about what led to their defeat against Harambee Stars as he plots big for their next match at the African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024).
Playing in front of a sold-out Kasarani stadium, Harambee Stars were off to a great start, scoring in the 42nd minute through Ryan Ogam.
However, the first half was a tense moment since the Atlas Lions were dominating the field with their attacking style of play.
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Tarik Sektioui lauded his players for beginning the game in high spirits but noted that they lost momentum along the way, something that heavily cost them.
The coach revealed that they started losing passes and were not in control of the game. Despite having the full squad in the second half, Tarik Sektioui noted that the players did not take advantage of that.
He observed that despite having possession in the first half, they missed a lot of chances, something that proved costly.
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“Sometimes it’s not easy at all, but I think that we started the game in a good way and we made a lot of great decisions,” the coach said in a post-match interview.
“We controlled the game in the beginning, but after that, I think we started with a lot of passes and control that were not good. We were not so good technically.
“We missed a lot of chances in the first half, and in the second, with an advantage of one more player, we did make the most out of it. It was not so good.”
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Tarik Sektioui added that as the game progressed, he observed how Harambee Stars players defended strongly and at some point, thought that they deserved to win.
Going into their next match, the coach insisted that they have to come out with a win, adding that they will put in the work and address all their major undoings before then.
“I think that if Kenya wins, because they deserved to win, it was very solid in a defensive way. For us, we were not so clever in how we managed the first and the second half and also for the occasion that we got,” he added.
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“From the next game, we must try to make the outcome better than this game, and we are going to start preparations for the next game tomorrow.”
Morocco will be up against Zambia in their next match scheduled for Thursday, August 14, before rounding up their group stage campaign against DR Congo on Sunday, August 17.