Morocco’s Atlas Lioness coach Eric Blahic reflects on stalemate against Uzbekistan

Morocco women’s national team head coach Eric Blahic has stressed the difficulty of securing consecutive victories against the same opponent after the Atlas Lionesses were held to a goalless draw by Uzbekistan in their second friendly encounter on Monday at the City Stadium in Rabat.

The result followed the first meeting between the two sides, with Blahic acknowledging that repeating a victory against the same opposition is never an easy task, particularly when both teams have the opportunity to assess each other’s strengths and weaknesses from their previous encounter.

According to the French coach, the second meeting presented a different challenge for the Moroccan side, as Uzbekistan had the benefit of learning from the first match and making the necessary adjustments to its approach.

Blahic believes such encounters are important in helping the technical team evaluate the players, identify areas that require improvement and measure the squad’s progress ahead of upcoming competitions.

The goalless draw also provided the Atlas Lionesses with an opportunity to assess their attacking effectiveness and overall performance against an opponent capable of making life difficult for them. Although Morocco were unable to find the breakthrough, the match offered valuable competitive experience as the team continues its preparations.

Blahic emphasised that the team must maintain its commitment to hard work and continue refining its performance, insisting that the players need to raise their standards as they work towards achieving their objectives.

The coach views these international friendlies as an important part of the team’s development, allowing him and his technical staff to assess individual performances, strengthen the squad’s collective understanding and address weaknesses before more demanding assignments.

With the two encounters against Uzbekistan offering different tests, Morocco will be looking to build on the experience gained from the matches and translate the lessons learned into improved performances in future fixtures.