Saiss: "Mozambique Match Was Complicated, Victory and Building Confidence Crucial Before AFCON"

Moroccan international Romain Saiss affirmed that the match against Mozambique was not easy, despite the narrow 1-0 victory. He noted that the national team faced an organized opponent who attempted to play out from the back and escape pressure, which demanded significant effort and high concentration from the "Atlas Lions."

Following the match, Saiss stated: "It was a complicated game because the opponent has a good team that we had analyzed beforehand via video. We knew they would try to play out from the back even when we pressed them, so we wanted to start the match strongly and apply high pressure to try and score early and open up the game more."

He added: "We succeeded in doing that at the start of the match, and even afterwards, the team performed well. The only negative point, in inverted commas, is that we should have sealed the game earlier, as we created many clear chances."

Saiss explained that the technical staff would review the video to identify strengths and weaknesses and correct minor details, as he believes these are what make the difference in major tournaments.

Romain continued: "You know today that teams often sit deep against us. Playing against teams that rely on a low block is not easy; even the biggest clubs in Europe struggle with it, despite their players training together daily. For us, it's even harder because we only gather for about ten days, and sometimes there are new players, but the important thing, in the end, is to find a solution and win."

Saiss stressed that victory is paramount at this stage, stating: "Of course, we'd like to win by three or four goals, but that's not always possible. The most important thing is to achieve results, because that's what matters in the end. If I told you we would win every AFCON match 1-0 and reach the final, you would all accept that. Winning is very important for building confidence."

Saiss concluded by affirming that the national team is moving in the right direction and that such friendly matches help raise the tempo and provide good preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations.