After leading Morocco to a 4-0 thrashing of the U.S. and successfully advancing to the semifinals of the Olympic men's soccer tournament, Morocco's captain, Ashraf, was interviewed by the media after the match, and his words revealed his pride in the victory, his anticipation for the future, and his appreciation for the fans.
When asked if the semi-final against Spain would be special, Ashraf showed great professionalism and focus. He said, "I don't know if playing Spain will be special, I really don't care. I have one goal here and that is to win a medal. I know for that I have to face all kinds of opponents that stand in our way, and if the opponent is Spain, it doesn't matter, you have to play the best team."
Talking about the big win, Ashraf couldn't hide his joy: "It was almost a perfect game because 4-0 is a big score and the whole team played very well in all aspects. We worked well and came on the pitch with a lot of fight and confidence. The first goal opened the door for us to move on."
Ashraf also has his own views on the breakthrough of Moroccan soccer at the World Cup, "The World Cup has opened the door for all Moroccans, where soccer is developing and progressing. We hope to keep it up for a long time because we still have a lot of goals to achieve, such as the African Cup of Nations, the World Cup ...... We have to show the young people that Morocco is capable of competing against the strongest teams and that we are on the right path."
Finally, Ashraf also singled out the warm atmosphere at Parc des Princes: "The stadium and the atmosphere are very favorable to us, not only here but in every stadium we've played in before. It's like we're playing at home and wherever we go, the fans follow us. Hopefully this continues until the end of the tournament. The fans must be thanked for their support and we hope they are proud of us."
