International Football
Walid Regragui, Morocco’s coach targets podium finish
“The Atlas Lions’ World Cup journey is still far from over, as Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui emphasized during the pre-game press conference alongside Moroccan winger Zakaria Aboukhlal.
Morocco will face Croatia for the third place of the Qatar 2022 World Cup this Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
This is the highest profiled football match involving an African team.
The Moroccan coach noted that they still have four years to think about winning the next World Cup, but in the meantime, they must compete for third-place and they hope to go out on a high.
A win of the match will jerk up Morocco’s earning from the World Cup to $27 million from the current $25m- the highest football earning by any African team.
“Every match is important, even friendly matches; we want to win for our fans, and the goal is to finish third; the higher we rise in the rankings, the more we break records and make history,” Regragui remarked at the pre match press conference.
After expressing disappointment at not advancing to the finals following the team’s loss to France, Regragui stated that finishing on the podium is still important, despite the team’s fatigue and injuries.
The coach believes his players are still hungry for a good ending. They are aware that there is still a match to be played and that finishing fourth is not the same as finishing third and taking home a medal.
Playing against familiar opponents, Morocco had met Croatia on November 20 and ended their match in a draw (0-0.)
Highlighting that the game would be challenging, Regragui noted the pressure is on as it might be the final World Cup game for Croatian footballer Luka Modric.
Regragui described him as a “great player” who also wants to finish on the podium, so they must “be careful.”
He went on to say that Croatia had one more day to recover physically and that they knew it would not be an easy game, so they will have prepared themselves by putting their best team forward to try and win the third-place title.
Speaking about the Morocco- France game, Aboukhlal said, “I think the last game was a good game for us, but it was difficult. The second half, in my opinion, was better. Unfortunately, we were not able to score despite being close.”
“However, I believe we can be proud of how we performed against France and are now concentrating on finishing in third-place,” he added.
The Moroccan winger expressed good feelings about tomorrow’s game, saying that “it’s a good match to play. We can finish third in the World Cup, which has never happened to a Moroccan team or an African team.”
In addition, Morocco’s coach commented on the complaint made by Morocco’s Royal Federation of Football (FRMF) to FIFA about “unjust” refereeing during Morocco’s World Cup semi-final match against reigning champions France.
Regargui stated regretfully that the FRMF did its job, adding that when there is a refereeing error, they must report it as all federations do. That’s football; you have to accept it, he concluded.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles put up a spirited performance but were edged 2-1 by Portugal in an international friendly at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.
The match served as Portugal’s final tune-up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and offered the Nigerians a chance to test themselves against one of Europe’s leading sides led by veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal drew first blood in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto broke the deadlock, firing past Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after a lively opening period in which both teams created opportunities.
The Super Eagles responded positively and were rewarded eight minutes before halftime when striker Akor Adams found the equaliser. The goal capped an impressive Nigerian fightback and ensured the teams went into the break level at 1-1.
Ronaldo, making a rare appearance against Nigeria, started the match and remained on the pitch until the 67th minute. The 41-year-old was given a standing ovation by the home crowd when he was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos.
Portugal made several changes after the interval as coach Roberto Martinez rotated his squad in preparation for the World Cup. Despite the substitutions, the hosts continued to press for a winner.
Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Francisco Conceição struck the decisive goal, restoring Portugal’s lead and ultimately securing victory for the European side.
Nigeria battled to find another equaliser in the closing stages but Portugal’s defence held firm to preserve the 2-1 result.
The defeat means Portugal have now won both meetings between the two countries. Their first encounter came in Lisbon in November 2022, when the Portuguese recorded a convincing 4-0 victory in a pre-World Cup friendly.
While the result will disappoint Nigerian supporters, the Super Eagles can take encouragement from their resilient display against one of the teams widely tipped to make a strong impact at the World Cup. Akor Adams’ goal and Nigeria’s competitive showing against a star-studded Portuguese side provided positive signs as the team continues its rebuilding process under the national team set-up.
For Portugal, the victory provides a confidence boost as they head to North America, where they hope their talented midfield and experienced squad can propel them to a successful World Cup campaign.
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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the starting line-up when the Selecao take on Nigeria in an international friendly match which kicks off in a few minutes tonight.
The 41-year-old forward, who remains a key figure in the Portuguese national team, has been named among the starters as Portugal continue preparations for upcoming competitive fixtures.
Ronaldo’s inclusion is expected to add further excitement to the encounter, with Nigerian fans eager to see one of football’s greatest players in action against the Super Eagles.
The match offers Nigeria another opportunity to test themselves against top European opposition, while Portugal will look to sharpen their squad ahead of future international assignments.
Kick-off is scheduled for later tonight, with both teams expected to field strong line-ups in what promises to be an entertaining contest.
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By Kunle Solaja
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Portugal will meet for only the second time at the senior level when they clash in an international friendly in Leiria on Wednesday night.
The encounter comes under remarkably similar circumstances to their first meeting in November 2022, when Portugal defeated Nigeria 4-0 in Lisbon just days before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Once again, Portugal are using Nigeria as their final warm-up match before the World Cup. Four years ago, the Portuguese selected the Super Eagles to prepare for a group-stage clash against Ghana, the team that denied Nigeria a place at Qatar 2022.
History appears to be repeating itself. This time, Portugal are preparing for a World Cup opening fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo, another team that shattered Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions by eliminating the Super Eagles from the qualification race.
The match at the 29,000-capacity Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa offers Nigeria an opportunity to avenge the heavy defeat suffered four years ago and test themselves against one of Europe’s strongest sides.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has assembled a star-studded squad featuring five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rafael Leão and João Félix.
The Portuguese head into the encounter unbeaten in their last four matches, having recorded victories over the United States and Chile while drawing with Mexico.
Nigeria, under coach Eric Chelle, have also enjoyed an impressive run. Since taking charge 15 months ago, the Franco-Malian tactician has overseen 24 matches and suffered only one defeat in regulation time.
With both teams carrying impressive recent records, Wednesday’s friendly promises to be far more competitive than the scoreline from their last meeting suggests.
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