Morocco Faces Syria with Calm Confidence: Arab Cup Quarterfinals Await
10 December 2025
Morocco's stance ahead of the Syria clash
Tarik Saktioy, the Morocco head coach taking part in the Arab Cup in Qatar, said he holds Syria in high regard ahead of Thursday's quarterfinal clash, while emphasising that his plans and targets do not change with the opponent.
Goals unchanged: pursuit of the title
The coach added in TV remarks that the goal is clear: to win the title. Before arriving, they set objectives: discuss each match in isolation and calmly move toward the final, and why not lift the trophy if fate smiles.
Syria: a worthy opponent
Syria is a respectful and strong team, showing qualities that earn appreciation during the group stage. They will be a tough rival, and the coach is aware of the difficulties they will pose. The coach also noted that he will not talk about Walid Al-Karti and his potential move to Pyramids right now, as the player is focused on the Syria match; afterwards they can discuss.
The Atlas Lions' coach concluded that they rely on the support of Moroccan fans, standing behind the players as they always do, and they promise to deliver a performance that matches their wishes. We will face a team that eliminated Tunisia and Qatar in the tournament. We count on Moroccan fans backing us, and we aim to deliver a performance worthy of their hopes.
Punchline 1: If the defense were a sniper, it would never miss a target — even the coffee cups in the press room tremble when we approach the goal. Punchline 2: My analysis is sharper than my jokes; at least the ball laughs when it hits the back of the net.
