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Hassan Moumen- Moroccan Coach

09-01-2009

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Cafonline.com :you are arriving at the helm of the Moroccan national team at a time when the team is in a difficult situation with regards to the qualifiers. The team suffered a home defeat and played two draw matches. Has the South African dream become an impossibility.

Hassan Moumen : (Hassan Moumen): An atlas lion never surrenders. Our chances are limited yes but we shall fight on with determination and bravery.

Morocco is the first African country to rival the World’s top nations in a bid to organise the World Cup on African soil. It is true things have not been easy but there is just some missing element for us to make restore our pride. It is not impossible for us to improve on our present situation, with the will we can drive on to restore the country’s pride.

Cafonline.com :What do you expect to do to over turn the tides now in your disfavour ?

Hassan Moumen : I think there are no 36 solutions. There is just one rule hardwor. We are in a group of professionals all of whom know their rights and obligations. We have to forget about the past because it was not worthy. Now is a new era and my commando mission has to go Lome and Libreville to realize its mission. We need to reinforce the group and exploit our potentials to the fullest. This is a transitional phase I am aware but with the help of my friends Naciri , Ammouta , Sellami ; we shall get there.

Cafonline.com :How do you explain that your players who are good in their clubs are not able to replicate their form when they put on the colours of the national team ?

Hassan Moumen : It is an issue of adaptation. The statistics are there for to see. We all know that players spend more time in their respective clubs than the national team. They play a minimum of 30 games for the entire season together and the reflexes are easy to come. That said if other national teams like Brazil have been able to overcome that difficulty we are also working hard towards that. Let me recall that it was a success with Homane and Bamous in 70 ; Baba et Faras en 1976 , Bouderbala , Krimau , Khairi in 1986 ; Bassir ,Camacho and Tahar in 98 and there is no reason why the 2009 generation will not succeed. Short period training sessions have had little impact and we are forced to deal instead more with the psychological aspect of the game. The responsibility which I am now been handed entails that I remain very vigilat at all times.

Cafonline.com :In 2004 the Moroccan side raised alot of hopes when they reached the finals of the African Cup in Tunisia. Since then the team has struggled. How do you explain this trend ?

Hassan Moumen : The response lies in the Technical Direction of the team which has to ensure the progress and or regression of the team. I wolud say that alot of things have contributed to this situation from the frequent change of the technical staff of the team, hard luck, the mentality of players, moral of players based in Europe and so on. The main issue now is to look beyond that picture and focus on the challenges at hand.

Cafonline.com :Can the spirit of mistust between the team and its supporters be overcomed.

Hassan Moumen : You know the fans are happy when the team is performant anything out of that make them feel bad. We have to understand their situation. I am certain that if we have a good result in Lome( Be careful Togo is a respected side) there will be many supporters who will travel to Libreville and if we continue with good results they will be in their numbers in Rabat.

Talking about the player/fans relations I have always insisted has to be the effort first of the players who should do everything to impress their supporters which sometimes go up to 100 000. The national team on the contrary has double or triple of the 100 000 spectators we are referring to. We talk of 36 millions souls, one people and a kingdom.

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