Even if it is not the Sunday final, Morocco may be happy that they are playing in their seventh match at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to head coach Walid Regragui.
They made history by becoming the first country from Africa to advance to the semifinals, but on Wednesday France defeated them.
They play Croatia on Saturday in the game that will determine who comes in third.
Regragui added, "We would have preferred things to have gone differently and played in the final."
"There is a different game to play, and we want to win."
"I realize it's crucial to place third rather than fourth, but the fact that we missed the championship game is what I've learned." We chose not to play the final today but on Sunday instead.
"However, I informed my team that this was their sixth World Cup game." Any supporter of Morocco would be happy to hear that we will play our seventh game on December 17.
"The fact that we have played six games in a month after Morocco played six World Cup games in 20 or so years is invaluable." "It's like we played two World Cups or more, which is amazing in terms of experience."
Moroccan finals and 2018 Both Croatia and the tournament's conclusion will feature a matchup between them.
On November 23 at the Al Bayt Stadium, the two countries fought to a scoreless draw in Group F, but Regragui anticipates a more favorable matchup on Saturday.
"We anticipated Croatia would be among the top teams in the tournament," he said. "We were aware of the excellent performance after the first game."
"Many people predicted that Croatia would be washed out from beneath them when their cycle came to an end." Both teams made it to the semifinals, but Croatia was criticized for not beating the "underdog," Morocco.
"The first game was met with a lot of apprehensions." "It will be a tremendous game, and both clubs will be motivated to win."
Luka Modric, the captain of Croatia, may have played in this match for the final time with his country, and Regragui gave the Real Madrid midfielder, 37, high praise.
"I don't know whether this is Modric's last match, but he's a fierce competitor who will want to cap off his World Cup in style." "We should be cautious if he attempts to end on a high note," Regragui remarked.
Bravo to Modric! At 37, he is undertaking a massive task. "He won the Ballon d'Or, and I can certainly see why."
Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian coach, thinks Modric will stay with the national team long enough to compete in the 2024 European Championships.
Dalic replied, "I hope he'll be there." It is something I am eager about.
"He will undoubtedly be present, but he will choose how he feels to express it." "I think he will be, but in the end, it is up to him."
In what he calls a "big match," Dalic claims that his team wants to finish the campaign on a positive note.
For us, he said, "this is a huge final, a significant match, and a battle for a medal."
"We have a lot of admiration for the Moroccan squad since they surprised everyone at this tournament and accomplished a lot."
"They have the same mentality." It is a big game for them as well; they have a great lineup, and we aren't worried about what our opponents are saying since we know they are vying for the same position; thus, it is a big game for both of them.
"Morocco is similar to us four years ago in that nobody anticipated their success." They earned their current position because they have grown, evolved, and improved with each game. They have developed into an enthusiastic and driven team.
"Other than Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and England, who could have done better, they are without a doubt the most pleasant and biggest surprises of this World Cup." Italy could not even cut. In this particular World Cup, two underdog countries competed in the third-place play-off.
Romain Saiss, who was risked at barely "60-70%" in the semi-final, will not be able to play, according to Regragui. The plan backfired when Saiss hobbled out after just 20 minutes.
Regragui said, "We took a risk, but it was a risk worth taking."
"He was to command the unit as we advanced into combat." We have a few more injured guys, but we'll see how things turn out.
"Our guys were really, truly pushed to their limits, yet they still want to play more." "We're going to start taking chances once again."
Marcelo Brozovic, the midfielder who was taken off after Argentina won the semifinal, could not play for Croatia.
Josko Gvardiol, a central defender who has done well all competition, is having trouble with his foot but might still play.
