Benabid: 'Saudi Arabia Match Was Tough, Our Goal Was to Top the Group'

Morocco's reserve national team goalkeeper, Mehdi Benabid, affirmed that the match against Saudi Arabia (1-0) was tough and that the team's objective was to qualify as group winners.

Speaking to Qatar's Al Kass channel, Benabid stated: "Naturally, we knew the tournament would be strong, and our goal was to qualify at the top of the group. The Saudi national team was strong in the opening minutes, but over time, we managed to correct some errors I had mentioned, and we were able to score, thus getting back on track."

He added: "Even in the second half, the players showed great physical fitness because the Saudi national team played with a full-attacking style, and we had to exert significant physical effort to prevent them from scoring against us. When the opponent was awarded a penalty, the Saudi player missed it, and thank God for that, thank God for the victory."

Regarding the missed penalty, Benabid commented: "In a match like this, I didn't expect the Saudi player to shoot in that manner, but thank God for everything."

On the team's technical performance, Benabid explained: "As I told you about the first half, after ten to fifteen minutes, the players displayed a high technical level, and it was clear that the Moroccan player is talented. There were high-level passes. We seek victory more than performance, but sometimes technical performance helps us deliver a good match. Nevertheless, in such circumstances, you have to be realistic and put in a great physical effort to prevent the opponent from scoring and deciding the game."

Regarding the quarter-final clash against Syria, Benabid affirmed: "The entire tournament has been almost at a high level, and we will prepare with great focus to continue our good performance and achieve victory."