ASFAR head coach Mohamed Amine Alioua has stated he hopes his side can avenge Morocco’s 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final loss to South Africa when they meet Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies in the CAF Women’s Champions League on Sunday (13 November 2022).
Magaia Hildah’s brace helped Banyana Banyana condemn Morocco to a 2-1 defeat at Stade Moulay Abdellah in July and the tactician believes this is a huge opportunity to make things right on the home ground.
“We will consider that, moreover even the players talk about it among themselves since a good part of ASFAR is in the [Morocco] team,” Alioua said during the press conference.
“We are also talking about the revenge of the semi-final of the last edition where we stopped in the semi-final. So there is a lot of motivation. We don’t want to be the team that has lost two finals in a row. We are aware that we are going to play a South African team which remains a great soccer nation. We will put all the ingredients to manage the match perfectly. We are going to play against a great team, Mamelodi Sundowns, but we are also ASFAR. A high-profile team in Morocco and Africa. It will be a very good game. It will be a tactical war and we are ready.”
The Moroccans started with top stars like Ghizlane Chebbak and Sanaâ Mssoudy and are now facing fresh injury concerns with Fatima Tagnaout and Najat Badri ahead of the finals.
And Alioua, who is sweating on the fitnesses of Tagnaout and Badri, is confident they can brave the odds to deliver the trophy.
“It’s a final and it’s not every day that we play a final. We are going to approach it with a lot of concentration and motivation like all the matches before,” he continued.
“We had a few more injuries unfortunately but we are ready for this match. We will do our best to keep this trophy at home. Maybe we’re not going to play in the best possible way, but the main thing is that we win this title.”
Siham Boukhami, on her part, reveals her side is looking at the possibility of gaining their revenge over the South African club.
“We’ve managed match by match with one goal in sight, which is reaching the final. Here we are, it’s up to us to do everything to keep the trophy at home,” said the 30-year-old defender.
“The Sundowns players know us as we know them very well. It will not be an easy match but we will do everything to win this title.”
Source: CAFOnline.com
