Qatar World Cup 2022: 'Not going to set up a plan to counter Mbappe' - Regragui ahead of France semis
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Dec 13, 2022, 8:03 PM ISTQatar World Cup 2022: Morocco will be up against France in the semis on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the former's boss Walid Regragui has affirmed that although his side is wary of Kylian Mbappe's threat, there is no particular plan to counter him.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has reached its semi-final stage, where Morocco will be up against defending champion France at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on Wednesday. The former has had a fairy-tale ride in the tournament, as it brushed away European giants Portugal to enter the semis, thus becoming the first African nation to enter the stage. However, it will face its sternest test in the competition when it goes up against Les Blues. Ahead of the match, the Atlas Lions are aware of the threat from sensational French striker Kylian Mappe. However, Moroccan head coach Walid Regragui has confirmed that his boys have no specific plan to stop him.
During the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Regragui said, "[Achraf] knows Mbappe better than me. He trains with him daily. I'm sure he is better placed than I am to know Kylian. I'm not going to set up a plan to counter Mbappe. Unfortunately for us, France has other great players. [Antoine] Griezmann is on his game, [Ousmane] Dembele on the other wing is a great complement to Mbappe."
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"To focus on Mbappe would be a mistake. In his position, Hakimi [Ziyech] is one of the best in the world, too, so it will be a great duel between two champions, both going at it hell for leather. We shouldn't focus on Kylian and how we will cause problems for France. I'm sure Hakimi will be on top of his game," added Regragui, reports FotMob.
While Didier Deschamps' men are the firm favourites to enter the final, speaking on his team's chances, Regragui noted, "We want to try and get rid of the mentality we perhaps had before. We came with great ambition to change mindsets in our continent in particular. If we say we are happy to reach the semi-final, many people might see that as a success, but I'm afraid I have to disagree."
"If you get to a World Cup semi-final and you're not hungry, there's a problem. We are determined to rewrite the history books. We want Africa to be at the top of the world. We know we're not the favourites, but we're confident. You might call me crazy, but I think a bit of craziness is good. We're not just going through the motions. We're not satisfied. We want to go further. Everyone is ready to pull off an upset," concluded Regragui.
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