BOSTON, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi said the team's goal is to go beyond its historic 2022 World Cup performance as it prepares for a crucial group match against Scotland on Friday.
Morocco, now seen as a rising force after reaching the semifinals in Qatar, drew 1-1 with five-time World Cup champion Brazil in its opening game.
"We didn't come to the U.S. just to play against Brazil," Ounahi said at Thursday's pre-match press conference. "We came to go even farther than we did in Qatar in 2022."
Ounahi stressed that Morocco is targeting a deep run in the tournament, not just big performances against top opponents.
"We know this World Cup will be longer than Qatar 2022, but we need to manage the entire tournament," he said. "Every single match counts, so we have to come into every game with the same aspiration and the same level of spirit."
With Scotland on three points and Morocco on one, Friday's game has taken on added importance.
"We all know that we need to get a result," Ounahi said. "We have 40 million Moroccans behind us. We have an abundance of talent, a complete squad, and we hope to do better than we did in Qatar. We are aiming to go to the furthest possible point."
"Tomorrow's match will be more important and harder," he added. "Scotland have three points, we have one and we cannot forget that. We need to win so our third match (against Haiti) is easier for us."
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi is calling on his players to step up and help the Atlas Lions cope with Scotland's physical challenge.
"The physical challenge from the Scots will be present with the second balls and with aerial play," he said on Thursday. "Brazil were physical too, but we need to stay in a compact block for as long as possible to have as many players as possible around the ball. We have a plan.
"We need to control the match and stay calm to avoid it becoming end to end, and we mustn't get too stressed," he added. "It's football. We have Premier League players; they excel at this, but we excel at other things too." ■
