After losing 1-2 to Spain in the semifinals of the Olympic men's soccer tournament, Morocco's national Olympic team head coach Sektiuyou gave an interview to the media, in which he candidly expressed his team's current emotional state and looked ahead to the upcoming third-place playoffs.
Sektiuyu began by reviewing the proceedings of the match, saying bluntly, "The match started very badly, which certainly dealt a heavy blow to our morale. Disappointment, that's the key word that's dominating our mood at the moment. The whole dressing room was gripped by this emotion, the players were very frustrated, they were extremely frustrated. But that's soccer and it's often a fine line between winning and losing."
Despite the bad start, Sektiuyu also recognized the team's subsequent efforts: "We didn't give up, the players quickly adjusted their form and gradually took control of the game and managed to score a goal. At that moment, we saw hope, but unfortunately, in the last half hour of the game, we made some mistakes that could have been avoided, which gave the Spanish team a chance to rediscover their form."
Sektiuyu had high praise for the players' performance: "Once again, I shook every player's hand and told them that they are real men. In the face of adversity, they showed resilience and team spirit. Although the result was not satisfactory, their performance was good enough."
Looking ahead, Sektiuyu remains confident: "We came here to be on the podium and win medals. Although we lost the semi-final and lost our chance to win the gold medal outright, we still have the third place match to fight for. We will never give up and we will meet the next challenges with the same enthusiasm and fighting spirit. I believe that as long as we are united, we will be able to do well in the quarterfinals."
