Following the victory of the Atlas Lions against Comoros (3-1) in their opening match of the Arab Cup 2025, Tarik Sektioui expressed satisfaction with the result, but he particularly wanted to commend his team’s ability to stay focused despite very challenging preparation conditions. “We suffered a lot to reach the stadium. We were stuck on the bus for an hour and were also deprived of a player who was supposed to start. We couldn’t give the pre-match speech and arrived only a few minutes before the warm-up began,” revealed the coach.
This unusual context, however, did not prevent Morocco from quickly taking the lead and winning with authority. Sektioui emphasized the essential point: “The most important thing was to win and avoid injuries.” The first half, which his team controlled, proved him right, even though the Comorians showed more aggression after the break.
Finally, the Moroccan coach reflected on the change in the game’s dynamics in the second half: “The opponent took significant risks by fielding four attackers; we therefore only lined up four defenders to counter them.” This tactical adaptation was embraced, allowing them to secure the result and start the competition in the best possible way before the upcoming matches against Oman and then Saudi Arabia.
