Comoros Coach: Morocco Match a 'Great Opportunity' to Showcase Our Team, Hopes Hakimi Plays

Comoros national team coach Stefano Cozzan affirmed that facing the Moroccan national team in the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations group stage presents a great opportunity to introduce his team.

Cozzan stated in the pre-match press conference: "We are happy and proud to play this match. It will be a great opportunity to introduce our national team and our country, and all the players and staff have waited a long time to reach this moment."

The coach added: "I believe it's a fact that Morocco is the best team in Africa and one of the best in the world, and they are playing on home soil. So, we are happy to participate and we must be cohesive."

He continued: "We have prepared for the match to have a balance between defense and attack. We want to play our own style because Morocco has highly skilled players, and so do we."

Regarding Hakimi's potential participation, Cozzan said: "I don't know Achraf Hakimi personally, but I greatly appreciate him as a player and a person. I would like him to be there for his own sake, and he will be in the tournament. I don't think his absence would be an advantage because Morocco is a highly competitive team, and I would like him to play."

He added: "I have coached a big team like Al-Ittihad in Libya, and I know how things go in big stadiums. We know that Moroccans are looking to win the title, and we have prepared for that. The crowd doesn't score goals. We played against Tunisia in Rades, but that didn't stop us from getting a result, and against Ghana, we lost 1-0, but we handled ourselves well. I believe the team has the ability to withstand difficult matches."

He concluded: "The host country has been preparing for a long time, has skills, and is a big team. It's natural for them to have great confidence in achieving victory, but it's not always the case. Mentality and mental strength are what matter."