Tiago Lima Pereira says Morocco’s under-17 side are ready to begin their campaign at the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Morocco this week.
Tiago Lima Pereira told the national federation’s YouTube channel that preparations are complete ahead of the opening match against Tunisia on Wednesday.
“We are ready, and the players are fully focused on the first match. Everyone is excited to start the tournament because we want to play football, and that is the most important thing for us.”
He said it would be wrong to talk about pressure for players of this age.
“We are talking about players who are 16 years old, so we do not want to put extra pressure on them, even though we know that playing at home gives the competition a different feel. We just want to give our best and make the fans happy from the first match.”
The coach said the main target is to win the title but stressed a step-by-step approach.
“We cannot run away from the goal of winning the tournament, but right now we are focused on giving a good performance and getting a win in the first match.”
Lima Pereira said limited preparation time meant the staff focused mainly on the mental side.
“We are a national team, not a club, so we do not have a long time to prepare. We tried to work on different aspects, but the biggest focus was mental, because the players are tactically ready.”
He also confirmed some fatigue and minor injuries at the end of the season, but said most players will be ready for the Tunisia game.
“The new match starts from zero, and we must not look back. We have to focus on giving our best performance and being a strong team throughout the match.”
He added the tournament is also about development.
“We want the players to finish the tournament more confident and with a better understanding of the game, because representing the national team is an important step in their football journey.”
Morocco open their campaign against Tunisia at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday at 20:00 local time.
