SÃO PAULO, SP (UOL/FOLHAPRESS) - The main highlight of Morocco's classification against Canada, Azzedine Ounahi is the creation of the Mohammed 6th Academy, inaugurated by the king of the country in 2010. After the match, the coach of the Moroccan national team thanked the authority for its investment in football.
Coach says the king of Morocco is responsible for the team’s good moment
SÃO PAULO, SP (UOL/FOLHAPRESS) - The main highlight of Morocco's classification against Canada, Azzedine Ounahi is the creation of the Mohammed 6th Academy, inaugurated by the king of the country in 2010. After the...
Mohamed Ouahbi, coach of Morocco, said that everything that happens in local football in the country is the merit of the king. Mohammed was crowned in 1999, following the death of his father, Hassan II.
At a press conference, he also praised Ounahi. The number 8, who plays for Girona, in Spain, scored two goals in the 3-0 victory against Canada, taking Morocco to the quarter-finals.
"Ounahi is a genuine product of the Mohammed 6th Academy. I've already said it and I'll say it again: everything that is happening today with Moroccan football is the result of the vision of our king, His Majesty, King Mohammed 6th, may God protect him. For many years he has invested very significantly in football, especially in the Mohammed 6th Academy", said Mohamed Ouahbi, coach of Morocco.
In 2010, the king opened a football academy with a research center. A reference for other similar centers in the country, the structure has six main fields, 9 thousand square meters and educational activities.
The foundation came from Morocco's successive failures in football. After qualifying for the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, the African team failed to secure places between 2002 and 2014.
"I can speak with confidence about this. We were under-17 world champions with many players trained at this academy. Therefore, we are very grateful for these talents trained in Morocco. There are many and there will still be many more", continued Mohamed Ouahbi, coach of Morocco. Game with the highest number of cards
The match in Houston, Texas (USA), had eight yellow cards, the highest number seen so far in this World Cup. There were six in the first half alone, and the game ended with four yellow cards for each side.
The Moroccan coach was not happy with the performance of the British Michael Oliver. For him, the referee was "in the mood to give cards" in the initial stage.
"Regarding this, of course I said this to the referee: he was a little calmer in the second half, but I have the impression that he drew the card very quickly in the first half and that he was in the mood to give yellow cards. I don't think nowadays you can referee round of 16 matches with so many yellow cards (...). Honestly, I didn't really understand the way this match was refereed. Unfortunately. Other than that, there were no mistakes, nothing happened. That's all, I think, the criticism I can do: give yellow cards a little too quickly," said Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi.
"Of course, when you get a yellow card it's always difficult because you can't get a second one. But the players handled it well. I'm really pleased with the way they also controlled their emotions. And I think that's what makes the difference too. And then that's it", concluded Mohamed Ouahbi, coach of Morocco.
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Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Ultima Hora
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