We were calm under pressure, says Morocco’s Ouazane
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Morocco’s two-goal hero in their 3-0 quarter-final victory against Algeria in the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Zakaria Ouazane has credited his teammates for being calm under pressure, withstanding a fully packed Mohamed Hamlaoui Stadium in Constantine to beat the hosts.
The stadium was packed to the rafters with slightly over 30,000 fans making their voices heard, but Morocco withstood the pressure to win the match and progress to the semi-finals.
“It was a tough atmosphere but as players we collected ourselves mentally and decided to stay calm. We knew it was not going to be easy but we approached the game well and with a very relaxed mind,” Ouazane who plays his club football with Ajax’s development team in the Netherlands said after the win.
He was duly named man of the match for his two-goal contribution and general performance in the match, and was delighted to add another icing on the cake.
“Honestly this is a huge moment for me and I want to thank everyone from my teammates, to the fans and my family in Morocco and in the Netherlands. It was as a result of teamwork that I got this,” he added.
The victory not only assures Morocco of a place in the last eight, but also their second ever qualification to the FIFA World Cup.
“The World Cup is massive for us as players. We have desired to play at such a stage and we are delighted. Now we have to focus on the next match which is the semi-final and make sure we go one better,” the centre forward said.
Morocco will now travel the short distance from Constantine to Annaba, where they will face the winner between Mali and Congo in the semi-finals on Sunday.
