2024 Women’s AFCON: Jorge Vilda Tightens Morocco’s Defense Ahead of Showdown Against Senegal
Morocco’s national women’s football team is focusing heavily on defensive adjustments ahead of their upcoming clash with Senegal, in the third and final Group A match of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), coach Jorge Vilda said Friday in Rabat.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Vilda emphasized that preparations for Saturday’s match, set to kick off at 8 p.m. at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, have gone smoothly, especially on the defensive front. He added that the team has worked to address the gaps exposed during the matches against Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He described Senegal as a solid team with strong cohesion, speed, and a knack for capitalizing on set pieces—qualities that caused significant trouble for Zambia in the second round. He noted that the Moroccan squad is well-prepared to go for the win and deliver a performance that meets expectations.
“The team is taking the tournament one match at a time and is aiming to win against Senegal to finish top of the group,” said Vilda. He acknowledged that the Atlas Lionesses struggled at times against both Zambia and DR Congo, but managed to come from behind in both matches.
National team player Sakina Ouzraoui added that while Morocco beat Senegal 7-0 in a previous friendly, Saturday’s official match will be a different story. She pointed out that Senegal now has a more structured squad and has significantly raised its level of play.
She stressed that the Moroccan players are fully aware of the responsibility they carry and that they’ve worked to correct the defensive weaknesses ahead of the final group-stage match.
Senegal’s head coach, Mame Moussa Cissé, said his team is ready to deliver its best performance against Morocco. He noted that the squad has prepared both physically and mentally to secure a positive result and qualify for the quarterfinals.
He added that the team has regained its physical sharpness following the 3–2 loss to Zambia, and said, “The squad is ready to make the physical sacrifices necessary, even against a strong Moroccan team that will have the support of a large home crowd.”
Morocco currently leads Group A with four points, tied with Zambia. Senegal sits third with three points, followed by DR Congo with zero.
Editorial team/le7tv
