On June 28, Morocco coach Walid Regragui was interviewed ahead of the match against the Netherlands and discussed the weather conditions for the encounter.

When asked whether tomorrow's match would be a test of physicality, tactics, or mentality, Regragui replied: "My answer is always the same. This is a FIFA World Cup knockout match between two teams ranked among the top ten in the world. Therefore, it is not just a physical confrontation, nor solely a matter of technical and tactical skills, nor only psychological resilience. It is a complete competition of all factors.

Physicality, technique, tactics, mentality—every aspect must be at its best. We must be a complete team. We must be prepared at every stage and in every part of the match. In fact, we did not start preparing just four days ago. Since the beginning of our FIFA World Cup training camp, we have continuously established our own principles of play, while helping players build confidence and believe they can handle such matches. Now all preparation is complete. The rest is to demonstrate it on the pitch tomorrow."

Regarding Brahim Díaz's performance in this FIFA World Cup, Regragui said: "As you mentioned, he has provided two crucial assists. One helped us secure important points against Brazil, and the other helped us gain valuable points against Scotland. Both assists came at critical moments that determined the outcome of the match. As for the consistency you mentioned, I believe it is not just a problem for Díaz personally, but rather that the entire team is still in a continuous growth process. Our goal is to maintain what we do well for longer periods.

This applies not only to Díaz but to the entire team. We have shown many excellent qualities, but we still need to improve our consistency and stability during matches. The players themselves are very aware of this. Whether it is me, the coaching staff, or the players themselves, we can all feel that with each match we play, we become more confident and more stable. Therefore, I believe everyone will see a better Díaz tomorrow. Major matches like this often reveal the true strength of excellent players. I believe he will deliver a remarkable performance tomorrow."

When asked if high temperatures would affect the pace of the match, Regragui responded: "High temperatures will certainly affect the match. However, it is the same for both teams. Most of our players play in European leagues, so this weather is not easy for us to adapt to either, and the same goes for the Netherlands. However, the good news is that after the match starts, the temperature should drop slightly compared to the daytime. You raised an interesting point about high pressing and pace of play. We have observed that in this FIFA World Cup, matches played in enclosed stadiums have generally had a much faster pace and more goals.

For example, our match against Haiti had a total of six goals, and several other matches as well. This shows that in enclosed stadiums, the pace of play, intensity, and speed of attack-defense transitions are all faster. Perhaps this could serve as a reference for FIFA when organizing future tournaments. Of course, it is not the weather itself, but the playing environment. As for tomorrow, I believe it will still be a high-level match. Although the weather is hot, both teams will face the same challenges."

When asked if the history of the 1986 FIFA World Cup would be additional motivation for the team, Regragui replied: "Many people talk about the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Some often tell me that Morocco beat Germany back then because the high-altitude environment made it very difficult for the German team to adapt. However, I am not certain that this claim is accurate. I have very vivid memories of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. I was 10 years old then, and that World Cup had a profound impact on me. That is where I truly began to dream of one day participating in the FIFA World Cup.

But rather than dwell on the past, I am happier now to be back in Mexico. Because we can truly feel the enthusiasm the Mexican people have for us. Every time the team bus goes to the stadium, we see many fans on the roadside, waving and cheering for us. That feeling is truly wonderful. So we are even more excited to be in a country that loves football and has a strong football atmosphere. The football culture here is actually very similar to Morocco's. Of course, we also hope to go further this time than we did in 1986. That is our greatest objective here."

Regarding the team's ability to seize opportunities, Regragui said: "Actually, we are constantly improving. Whether through match analysis or training, we can see the team becoming more aggressive. More players are entering the box, and the desire to score goals is growing stronger. Even in training, I can feel the players increasingly wanting to improve their finishing ability. So I am not concerned about this at all. Because I believe in them. I believe in the attitude they show at training every day, and I believe in their abilities.

Sometimes football is like that; you don't need to create ten chances to score. Perhaps you missed eight chances in the last match, but in the next one, you have only two chances and manage to convert both. That is football. So I am not worried about wasting a few chances before. Of course, I could also say, as Rachid used to say: 'Everyone shoots, practice more shots, shoot desperately.' That is a joke. Because his son is part of our coaching staff, and we have already discussed it. But seriously, we did not change our training methods because of this. We still believe in our players."

Finally, Regragui sent a message to all Moroccan fans: "First, I want to thank all the fans who support us, whether in Morocco or around the world. We know you are always by the team's side. I want to tell everyone to keep believing in us. Because every day, we work hard for our country. Every training session, every minute of preparation, is to play well for Morocco. Tomorrow, we will give everything. We will leave all our effort on the pitch. We hope that, regardless of the result, every Moroccan fan will be proud of this team. Thank you all."

Traduit par IA.

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