Morocco Football: Not Good Enough

: 01/29/13

OTMAN AFFAYA
North Carolina / Morocco News Board-- In modern football time and space are the deciding factors, also the concept of teamwork, you win as a team and you lose as a team. I was hoping the coaching staff will instill this concept in Moroccan team. Unfortunately what we heard is just the blame game.

Also, since a draw is a good thing, to me, a draw is a loss especially in football tournaments (win=3points, draw=1point so you do lose 2 points), sure we could rate the performance overall of the whole team and the coaching stuff, in this case we will see if it was satisfactory or not. So I should not be satisfied with a draw, it is giving the team excuses not to do well in the future, and we have been doing that for a while. It about time to change that and raise the standards. Otherwise we will keeping looking for excuses every failed tournament comes. So, it is not the first time Morocco has struggle to get results, it’s been chronically happened several events. The only time they reach the finish line of their potential on 1996. Well, what are the lessons learned from this experience? What are the mistakes made, and how take responsibilities and be honest about those mistakes? How we should keep the positive outcomes and get rid of the negative habits made around the team? Here are some suggestions: > • Morocco played a great game versus South Africa but he was unlucky!! The team started very aggressive collectively, dictate the tempo on first half, and drop back after scoring the goal.

• We did notice an emergence of the backbone of a team during this game regardless of leadership absence. Several players step up to the plates (El Adoua, Chafni , Benatia)and it should be kept and reinforced for the future.

• Communication skills was better. Collective work was complimented with individual skills.

• Very solid lines when we are looking for goal, and weak when we are up by goal. Some players (Adoua, Chafni) showed a fighting spirit through tout the game, and they should be set as an example for the other players in the future.

Negative signs:

• When you score a goal, the game still on, so you need to keep the pressure till you score more goals to secure a win. What happened in last game and happened many time we tend to score goal and drop back to defend it, we are just inviting the opponent to attack us. I am not sure if it was tactical instruction or player’s decision. In either case, it should not happened.

• Possession becomes the most important thing when your team up in score sheet, hold the ball, practice your passing skills one two touches and move forward. Simple when you have the ball you spread the space and the opponent, and when you lose the ball you close the space and recover the ball quicker. Possession in general is crucial all the time, and it is more important when you are winning.

• Average game time about 95 minutes, players should play to the last whistle unless of course you are winning. Players did not show any urgency to put the ball on the opponent box in last minutes.

• Team tend to lose its shape and concentration in last minutes of the game because of the intense physical demand they experienced Coaching staff should be mindful of and make the sound substitution for the right position. Bergdish was not the right attacking left wing for that moment maybe Assaidi, or Hamadaoui ,Hamidi was the right call.

• Chances in football either comes in bulk or rare, strikers need to be clinical and take a full advantage of them.

• Lack of experience and leadership on the team backfired the formation. It is oaky to have young blood but mix it with experience one.

The lessons that should be learned:

Modern coach that spend twenty and some days with players surrounded with four advisers should know his players pretty well, should know their strengths and weaknesses. Friendliest games has already supplied with sound choice of your starting team. It took the coaching staff two draws to find the right player combination. That tell us two things, the coaching staff was indecisive, or just trying and testing players during the tournament. For this the coaching staff should be honest and admit to their mistakes not blaming on the players. I understand emotion tend to interfere with Team needs to take a risk in a mind in making sound decisions. It was claim about offensive mindset of the team, we felt that on the last game but it was absent from the two first game. Matter of fact I will categorize Mr. Taoussi game style by been more conservative attacking, and more defensive style overall, and this not the first time he played this way, he won trophies doing that with the Fez club during the African club competition. One thing I am sure of winning trophies should build confidence to raise the standard for yourself and for your players, and never put or settle for mediocrity unless the complacency of the players comes on the way.

Anyhow, some Works has been done, but it’s incomplete. Take the positive signs and turn them into routines, get rid of the negative habits that raise during this tournament. But mainly be honest with yourself and with people around you, and be smart to figure out the missing pieces to the puzzle. Believe me you will build a better, solid team for the future.

Let me remind you that the struggle is on us and the solution with us. If each one of the team push little harder, individually and collectively they might reach their ideal potential and win trophies.

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Comments (6)

+1 #1 RE: Morocco Football: Not Good Enough — Isam 2013-01-29 13:16

It's not that Morocco was better, it is that South Africa was horrible, they overestimated the value of Morocco.

Chafni and El Arabi failed to end the game when they found themselves face to face with the goal keeper. I could not believe that they would miss such an opportunity. Not one but twice.

Taoussi said that we dominated the game when our time of possession was 42 min and SA was 58 min.

His assistant was fighting the 4th referee who by the way was Algerian. This referee was constantly warning Taoussi not to cross the line to the field of play and he was right. He was simply doing his job.

In my previous post I said that he needed to sit Essaidi and give a chance to Hafidi and that bear fruits but he should not have sat Amrabat who is the fastest player we have, and bring qaddioui who was useless.

Lamghairi , 2 goals from outside carre' 18, No comment..

The teams that deserved to pass, did pass, Cape Verde was my favorite, they defied all odds.

Overall, and I will say it again, we do not have good enough players.

The only player that is worthy to be on the national team is Berrada. We need more Barradas in Morocco in and outside the fields. He consistently played his heart out. He was probably born in the wrong era, he should have been born in the 60s and 70s.

Taoussi was praying few rak3as before even the game ended. This is all something new to me, When I was watching games in the 80s and 90s, players score and go to the middle of the field. Now we are mixing religion in all aspect of life in Morocco even in a soccer game.

Here is Taoussi being best at what he does. Being rude Moroccan

gu.com/p/3dcty

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0 #2 Ali Fassi Fihri Get Lost! — JR 2013-01-29 21:36

The elimination is a setback scathing the national coach, Rashid Taoussi, who promised to pass the first round stage. He assumes full responsibility for his tactical choices in the first two games that have cost the national team.

The early elimination against modest teams is not only the fault of Rachid Toussi or the players. The fault rests also with all the insiders, especially the president of the FRMF, Ali Fassi Fihri.

Ali Fassi Fihri should be the first to leave the undeserved Presidency of the FRMF. Ali Fassi Fihri brought nothing but disaster (losses and eliminations) since his installment as the head of the FRMF. The Moroccan people are entitled to say “Get Out!” And he should not be the only one either. The incompetent bosses frmf.ma/.../composition.html around him should pack their bags and get lost. Democracy must be able to reach the area of sports. The next president of the FRMF should be elected and not imposed.

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0 #3 RE: Morocco Football: Not Good Enough — Isam 2013-01-30 14:45

Here is Taoussi with some serious attitude and lack of class. Great coaches are those who keep their calm and class even in defeat.
I have seen many many NFL championships and I have never seen an NFL coach being rude to the media after the loss.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GdScr4MaJmU[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GTl4DHdHarU[/youtube]

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0 #4 RE: Morocco Football: Not Good Enough — JR 2013-01-30 17:14

Isam. Toussi needs to attend Anger Management seminars.

He's a typical Moroccan executive, selfish, arrogant and full of himself. No humility whatsoever. For someone who's a PhD, Taoussi, for sure needs to improve on his personal communication skills and the team's overall PR in general. His behavior is amateurish to say the least. Especially when he proceeded to pray after Morocco scored the second the goal. The game was not even over. Now they're imposing their religious believes even in sports. Apparently, they have forced the players to attend the Friday prayer the day before the game. What the hell was that about? Is this how you inspire a team? All scientific and proven methods are out the door.

I feel bad for the Moroccans. First, lhlaiki Benkiki, and now, lfkih Taoussi. Some progress, if you call it one.

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0 #5 RE: Morocco Football: Not Good Enough — Isam 2013-01-30 20:43

Par:Mustapha.Bouchghel

2013-01-30 18:10:00

Ali Fassi Fihri, actuel président de la fédération royale marocaine de football, aurait déclaré, à l’issue de l’élimination de l’équipe nationale en CAN 2013, qu’il quitterait la FRMF si le roi le souhaitait.

À en croire le quotidien Al Massae, le président de la FRMF aurait confié que son avenir à la tête de la fédération dépendrait de la volonté du roi :

« Je suis un soldat de sa majesté le Roi, j’irai au bout de mon mandat à la FRMF s’il le désire, mais si sa majesté souhaite me voir partir, je quitterais sur le champ». A accordé le quotidien marocain à Ali Fassi Fihri.

Rappelons qu’Ali Fassi Fihri, qui est également directeur général de l'Office national de l'électricité et de l'eau potable (ONE), a passé 4 ans déjà en tête de la FRMF. Il avait succédé, en 2009, au général Hosni Benslimane.

La question qui se pose, si ces déclarations se confirment : pourquoi Ali Fassi Fihri souhaiterait mêler le palais aux affaires de la FRMF ? Surtout que la FIFA n’apprécie pas que le pouvoir politique intervienne dans les affaires des fédérations, et on citera à titre d’exemple la réaction de la FIFA contre le gouvernement français en 2008, quand ce dernier avait demandé au président de sa fédération de démissionner.

Une autre question s’impose : comment ça se fait que tout le monde blâmait Taoussi d’occuper deux fonctions en même temps, à savoir celle du sélectionneur national et entraineur des FAR de Rabat, alors que personne ne montre du doigt mr Ali Fassi Fihri qui est aux commandes de deux grandes organisations nationales, notamment la FRMF et l’ONE ? La tâche de gérer deux grands organismes serait-elle plus facile que de gérer deux équipes ?

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0 #6 what to — say.... 2013-01-31 05:20

Morocco's problems (since I remember (I am 45 years old)

1) Cannot finish golden chances to score goals: Poor finishing
2) Always lose on stupid mistakes by either the defense or the goal keeper
3) Most goals scored on Morocco are usually from set pieces
4) Tend to run out of gas last 20 minutes of the game
5) last 10 years: fire the coach every 18 months

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