Wahbi refuses to gamble: Morocco star out of Lesotho clash
There is no room for excuses
Mohamed Wahbi, head coach of the Morocco national team, threw down the gauntlet ahead of Tuesday's clash with Lesotho in the South African city of Bloemfontein. The second round of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers demands total concentration, he insisted, and he warned his players against using the surrounding circumstances as an excuse for any slip-up.
The Atlas Lions are chasing a second win on the bounce after opening their Group One campaign with a 2-0 victory over Gabon. Lesotho, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a 1-2 defeat to Niger.
Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein will stage the fixture after Lesotho were forced to play away from home. Their own grounds fall short of the standards required to host international matches.
Wahbi said during the press conference: "We won the first match, and now we will play the second, and of course the circumstances are different, so we have to adapt and maintain our concentration in what we do well, and try to achieve victory, while respecting the Lesotho national team, which has developed considerably in recent years."
Only one man is missing from the squad. Nayef Aguerd sits out, with the technical staff choosing not to risk him so he can continue his programme of return to competition. "Everyone is available except Aguerd, whom we preferred to continue the return protocol," Wahbi explained.
Neither the atmosphere nor the pitch will wash as an alibi for a poor result, according to the Moroccan coach. "It is not about looking for excuses. The temperature is good, but whether it concerns the heat or the quality of the pitch surface, we cannot have excuses. We must think only of the solutions that help us to win."
Turning to the new faces, Wahbi confirmed their integration is happening gradually. "There are those who have played, those who have not yet played, and those who will play. We want these players to develop, and we also want to see them on the pitch."
Young players need room to learn and to get things wrong, he stressed. "We must allow them to make wrong decisions when that happens, and to respect that, because they are young players."
Focus and steady improvement from match to match: that, Wahbi concluded, is how Morocco see off Lesotho. He warned against the trap of complacency. "The best way not to take the match lightly is to be in full concentration, to approach it with seriousness, and to give everything we have in order to win."
