Morocco boss Mohamed Ouahbi pleased with Mali test at end of camp

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said the friendly against Mali provided exactly the demanding test he wanted as the Atlas Lions finished their training camp.

Ouahbi described the match as a competitive, high-tempo encounter against a strong opponent and said it had given his players valuable experience.

“It was a good match,” he told television reporters after the game. “We played a genuine friendly, with a high level of competition and intensity, against a very good team. That is exactly what we were looking for. We did not want to finish the camp with an easy game, so it was good to face a side of this level.”

The coach said the camp had been highly positive overall, although the team had identified areas that still required further work. He was also encouraged by the way Mali struggled to press Morocco and win the ball back.

“We saw some things that we need to continue working on and improve,” Ouahbi said. “At the same time, we saw that we have good ability and that the opponent found it very difficult to press us and recover possession.”

Ouahbi admitted Morocco did not make enough use of central areas during some stages of the match. He said their performance improved after the interval, particularly in defence and in their control of the game, while their movement behind the Mali defence also became more effective.

“We left more space than we should have in the first half, and perhaps we wanted to make the match too lively,” he said. “But in the second half we had greater control, made runs through the middle and could have created clearer chances and scored goals.”

The manager concluded by saying he was satisfied with what Morocco had achieved during the camp. He highlighted the effort and running shown by his players, as well as the pace and intensity of the match, which he said were important to the team’s development.

“We leave this camp satisfied,” Ouahbi said. “It was very useful, and we will continue to work, improve and move forward. Today we saw players who made a great effort and covered a lot of ground. The pace and intensity of the match were very important because these are the kind of games that help us develop.”