Morocco head coach Tarik Sektioui has reflected on the factors behind their defeat to Harambee Stars and outlined his determination to bounce back in their next African Nations Championship (CHAN 2024) fixture.
The Atlas Lions travelled to a fully packed Kasarani Stadium and were stunned when Kenya’s Ryan Ogam found the net in the 42nd minute. Despite dominating possession early on with an aggressive attacking approach, Morocco failed to make their control count.
Kenya’s task was made harder just before the break when Chrispine Erambo received a straight red card for a dangerous challenge. Even with the numerical disadvantage, Harambee Stars dug deep defensively and protected their lead until the final whistle.
Sektioui praised his squad for their bright start but admitted they struggled to sustain that momentum — an issue that ultimately proved costly.
The coach pointed out that misplaced passes and a lack of control crept into their play as the match went on. He lamented that, despite playing with an extra man for the entire second half, his side failed to capitalise.
“Sometimes it’s not easy at all, but I think that we started the game in a good way and we made a lot of great decisions,” Sektioui said after the match.
“We controlled the game in the beginning, but after that, I think we started with a lot of passes and control that were not good. We were not so good technically. We missed a lot of chances in the first half, and in the second, with an advantage of one more player, we did make the most out of it. It was not so good.”
He acknowledged that Morocco’s missed opportunities in the opening half, coupled with Kenya’s stubborn defending, tilted the game in favour of Harambee Stars.
“I think that if Kenya wins, because they deserved to win, it was very solid in a defensive way. For us, we were not so clever in how we managed the first and the second half and also for the occasion that we got,” Sektioui remarked.
With a crucial match ahead, the Moroccan tactician vowed to fix their shortcomings and come back stronger.
“From the next game, we must try to make the outcome better than this game, and we are going to start preparations for the next game tomorrow.”