“It will be a tough game,” Mashami said as quoted by
New Times. “Morocco have good players who are comfortable and very dangerous in their playing style. They are also strong in set-pieces, but we have studied their game and we are well-prepared for any situation.”
Mashami is, however, confident they will be playing for a win and will approach the game as a final.
“Win for us is very important,” Mashami continued. “We will be playing to get all the points, so we have to approach the game as the final.”
Rwanda are yet to beat Morocco in their previous three meetings, with their last win against them coming in 2008 when they won 3-1 during the 2010 World Cup qualifier staged in Kigali.
Despite the challenges, the 2016 Chan finalists started the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Uganda, followed by another stalemate against Morocco, and the final group match 2-1 win over Togo.
“Two draws and a win in the group stage have motivated us to keep working hard with the belief that we still have a lot to offer,” Mashami added.
The coach also spoke about Thierry Manzi who got injured as they battled the Sparrowhawks.
“Thierry is a mature and experienced player who brings a lot to the team and we shall work hard to have him fit for the quarter-final stage,” he concluded.
Chan 2021: Mashami on Rwanda progress, police condemn reckless Kigali celebrations Goal 27/01/2021 Kiplagat Sang
Rwanda head coach Vincent Mashami has explained why they deserved a place in the African Nations Championship quarter-finals.
Rwanda did not have adequate time to prepare for the tournament given the challenges that were caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The tactician ended up selecting a squad dominated by players from AS Kigali and APR who reported late as they had club assignments in the Caf Confederation Cup and in the Champions League.
Soccer activities had also been stopped after the coronavirus cases surged just as the 2020/21 season had begun.
CHAN: Rwanda beat Togo to seal quarter-final berth - National Accord Newspaper nationalaccordnewspaper.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nationalaccordnewspaper.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.