A positive Morocco coach Reynald Pedros predicted his team would be able to bounce back and turn around their fortunes at the Women’s World Cup campaign against South Korea in Adelaide on Sunday.
The north Africans were handed a rude welcome in their first appearance at the finals when they were trashed 6-0 by Germany in Melbourne on Monday in the heaviest defeat of the tournament.
La question hallucinante d’un journaliste de la BBC à Reynald Pedros, sélectionneur de l’équipe nationale féminine du Maroc, et à sa capitaine Ghizlane Chebbak. ??????
— Instant Foot ?? (@lnstantFoot) July 25, 2023
« Avez-vous des joueuses homosexuelles dans votre équipe ? »
Leur réaction : ?? pic.twitter.com/prkIuh5jZd
But Pedros said he and his side to put bed the shock and disappointment of the one-sided defeat in Group H and were looking to bounce back in their second match of the tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“We are both in the same situation because they also lost their opening game,” said the former France international at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
Korea were beaten 2-0 by Colombia in Sydney on Tuesday.
“But it’s a different situation for us because it’s our first World Cup. We are discovering the level and the pressure that it takes to participate at a World Cup.
“The match against Germany showed us a lot of things and we’ve been working hard on our objectives, concentration and we know we have to play this game to win. A draw won’t help us. We going to play this match to win.”
Pedros insisted the spirit in the Morocco camp remained high despite the heavy defeat.
“I never feel beaten, not me or my staff. The result against Germany was negative but it was up to us, the staff, to work on the morale of the players.
“It’s positive and very high. After the loss, we started to work straight away on the game against Korea.”
Pedros said the players were determined to leave a good impression.
“The spirit is good and the players very, very, very enthusiastic. They want represent Morocco in the best way possible.”
There would be some changes rto the line-up, the coach added, but not to their approach or style of playing.
“Just because we lost a match to Germany, it does not mean we are going to revolutionise everything we’ve done. We will continue with our system and continue with our hard work
“Our objective remains to get to the knockout phase and we must take this step-by-step. But it does mean it is necessary to win the next match. Two teams will qualify from our group for the last 16 and we are determined to be one of them,” Pedros said.