Regragui on Penalties: 'Enrique's Players Practiced 1,000, Missed Three Against Us'

Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national team, affirmed that his primary focus would be on avoiding penalty shootouts. He emphasized that "managing emotions" is the decisive factor at this stage, rather than merely practicing penalties.

Speaking at the press conference following Morocco's victory over Uganda, Regragui stated, "Regarding penalties, there are a number of methods that can be applied every day in training, and this is work in itself."

He elaborated, "However, managing emotions in a match is not like training. Ayoub El Kaabi, for example, has not missed any penalties in training, just as he does with his club team. Players must know how to cope with pressure, and that is what concerns me."

Regragui then recalled, "I remember Luis Enrique saying after the penalty shootout against us that he had told his players to practice a thousand penalties to prepare for the World Cup, and when they faced us, they missed three."

He concluded, "What matters to me is not reaching penalty shootouts and achieving victories on the field. When we do reach penalties, managing emotions is what concerns us, and we hope not to reach the penalty shootout stage."