Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi believes his side’s friendly against Mali offered the demanding test they wanted to complete their training camp.
The match was played at a high tempo and provided a competitive examination against a strong opponent, rather than an easy fixture to conclude the camp.
“It was a good match,” Ouahbi told television after the game. “We played a genuine friendly, with a high level of competition and intensity, against a very good team. That was exactly what we were looking for.
“We did not want to end the camp with an easy match, so it was good to face a team of this level.”
Ouahbi said the camp had been highly positive overall, although the Morocco manager acknowledged there were areas still requiring attention.
“We saw some things that we need to continue working on and improve,” he said. “At the same time, we saw that we have good capabilities and that the opponent found it very difficult to press us and win the ball back.”
The manager identified Morocco’s use of central areas as one aspect that was lacking during parts of the match. He felt the team improved after the interval, particularly in defence and in its ability to control the contest.
Morocco also created more movement behind Mali’s defence in the second half, according to Ouahbi.
“We left more space than we should have in the first half, and perhaps we wanted to make the game more open than necessary,” he said. “But in the second half, we had greater control, made runs through the middle and could have created clearer chances and scored goals.”
Ouahbi ended his assessment by expressing satisfaction with the work completed during the camp. He said the intensity of the Mali game had been particularly valuable for the squad’s development.
“We leave this camp satisfied,” he said. “It was very useful, and we will continue to work, improve and progress.
“Today, we saw players who made a great effort and covered a lot of ground. The pace and intensity of the match were very important because these are the kinds of games that help us develop.”