TOchraf Hakimicaptain of Morocco, spoke to the press prior to the debut of the Atlas Lions in the World Cup. “We are focused. On doing our best and getting the best result. That’s all we think about,” the PSG full-back started.
World Cup debut: “I think the opponent we face tomorrow is a quality team. We also have quality. The Brazilians of Africa call us. We are ready to achieve something great with the trust and support of all Moroccans. We will play well and we will start tomorrow’s game well”
Defend Vinicius: “I think we all know about Vini’s qualities. I have already played against him several times and he is a great player, but I think the other Brazilian players are great players too. The team is ready and I, personally, feel prepared”
Heat during the World Cup: “Yes, we are used to it. We are Africans and it is hot in Morocco. We arrived early to acclimatise and get used to the heat. The coach and his team have prepared a good program to manage the temperatures. During the friendly against Norway and in training, we adapted well to the heat. Everything is going well. We are ready for tomorrow, in the best possible conditions”
Favorites: “I think that in a match like this, and in a tournament as long as the World Cup, there are no favorites. We know the qualities of Brazil, but also those of Morocco. It will be a very close match, which can go either way due to small details, especially in terms of the effectiveness of both teams. We hope that this is our style, that we focus more on the offensive aspect to score and defend well. I don’t think there will be a favorite in a World Cup.”
Relationship with Marquinhos: “Marquinhos and I haven’t talked much these last few days. We are both focused on the national team. But it is true that when we were in Paris, we laughed and joked a lot. On the field, we all want to win. May the best team win!”
Neymar: “I love Brazil, a country that I have had the opportunity to visit. I am happy to have fans from different countries. The fact that they are interested in us there shows our new status. As for Neymar, I prefer to face the best, and he is one of them. I know him and I would like to face him in what could be his last World Cup”
Message to the youngest players: “I have already played in two World Cups and I was young. My advice to younger players is to enjoy every moment, because you never know if it will be the last. We must enjoy every moment with a sense of responsibility, with 44 million Moroccans supporting us. Every moment is important. We have to make the most of it; we don’t know what can happen in the future, as we saw with Abde and Nayef”
