Morocco coach Walid Regragui reveals the Morocco v Spain gameplan

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said his aim was to let Spain have the ball after his team’s stunning and enthralling penalty shootout victory in their World Cup last-16 tournament on Tuesday. The African side won 3-0 on penalties after a 0-0 draw after extra time at Education City Stadium in Qatar on Tuesday. Spain dominated possession during the match, but Morocco’s staunch defence largely kept them at bay and limited clear-cut chances.

“We didn’t want to take possession,—not out of fear,” Regragui said. “We are humble enough to admit that we aren’t yet France, Germany, or England, to compete with them in terms of possession. Nobody stole the ball from them, so I accepted not having the ball. I'm not a magician.” The team worked for four days on their game-plan to reduce the impact of midfield trio Sergio Busquets, Pedri, and Gavi, who all played an important role in the game.