Morocco women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda praised his players after their 2-1 victory over South Africa on Saturday, saying the result secured a place in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals and qualified the Atlas Lionesses for the next Women’s World Cup.
Speaking at a news conference after the quarterfinal victory, Vilda said Morocco “deserved to qualify for the World Cup” and praised the fans who attended the match, saying their support had a positive impact on the team.
Morocco took the lead in the first half and went into the break ahead, but South Africa reduced the deficit in the second half.
“In the first half, we reached the opponent’s goal and achieved what we wanted by scoring the opening goal,” Vilda said. “But we suffered in the second half, especially because keeping possession is not easy in matches like this, and tension can sometimes get the better of the players.”
Vilda said qualifying for the World Cup in Brazil had been a clear objective for the team since last summer.
“We were all thinking about this qualification, but we will not stop here. Now we will think about the semifinal,” he said.
The Spanish coach said Morocco had been particularly strong in the first half in physical duels, while acknowledging that the team made some mistakes that were later corrected.
“I think we were superior in the first half in terms of the duels,” Vilda said. “We made some mistakes, but we corrected them and overcame them. We fought until the last minute and achieved the objective we wanted.”
Morocco turns focus to semifinals
Morocco’s coaching staff will watch the second quarterfinal to identify the team that will face the Atlas Lionesses in the semifinals, Vilda said.
The staff will then analyze the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses while continuing to work according to Morocco’s own playing style, he said.
Vilda also praised the team’s defensive improvement, highlighting the work players have put in during training.
“The players played well, and the defense in particular had a good game,” he said. “This is thanks to the work they have been doing in training. It is something we have worked on during the past period.”
The coach pointed to the team’s improved defensive record compared with the previous edition of the tournament.
“In the previous edition, we conceded nine goals, and now we have conceded only one,” Vilda said. “That is very positive.”
Despite securing World Cup qualification, Vilda said the team would remain focused on continuing its run in the Africa Cup of Nations and competing for the continental title.
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