Morocco coach Walid Regraki said his team will play for victory when they face Peru in a friendly on Tuesday at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, in preparation for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

Morocco were the first to qualify for the African Nations qualifiers without playing taking advantage of the 11-2 draw between their direct pursuers in Group 2, South Africa and hosts Liberia last Friday.

Morocco qualified to secure one of the first and second places in the three-team group after Zimbabwe were excluded by FIFA due to government interference in the affairs of the local federation.

🇧🇷🇲🇦 Regraki: I feel like I'm in a dream

A word against this man 🤩✍🏼 #المغرب #المغرب_البرازيل #Regraki #beINTERACT pic.twitter.com/zzwKEBYCPL

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) March 26, 2023

"We played Saturday (against Brazil) and traveled at night and arrived on Sunday; there is some fatigue, especially in light of the month of Ramadan, and tomorrow we will play the second friendly match, and we knew that this would happen," he said during the press conference ahead of the Peru match.

"It will be a difficult match, especially in light of the result of Saturday's match, as we have become the team that any opponent we face seeks to beat us, in addition to the rhythm and solid will of the South American teams."

Morocco beat Brazil 2-1 in a friendly last Saturday, becoming the first Arab team to beat Brazil after 26 consecutive wins for the five-time world champions over Arab teams, including two victories over the Atlas Lions, 5-2 in a friendly in 1997 and 3-1998 in the <> World Cup.

#المغرب's second goal in #البرازيل
⚽️⚽️🔥#Brazil_Morocco#Morocco_Brazil
pic.twitter.com/lovcxFkkKl

— Sport 🎯🥅 Sniper (@qannasreyadi) March 25, 2023

"We have to stay at our level so that we don't regret Saturday's result after what we scored against Brazil, despite the friendly nature of the match. We will continue to work to strengthen the offensive side and we will work out several details. But it's still a good game and we'll give our best to win".

Upcoming changes

Regarding the expected changes, Regraki said, "There is Azzedine Onahi, who was injured, and Achraf Hakimi, with whom we agreed to play one game against Brazil because he is coming back from injury."

"We didn't want him to have an injury that ends his season and we won't risk it, so there will be at least some players absent, and for the rest we will see if fitness is present in the last training. I'm not going to change a lot (in the squad) so we don't lose understanding, and we'll see what is the best line-up to win".

Regraki defends Bono

The Morocco coach, who led the Atlas Lions to an unprecedented achievement in the Arab world and Africa by reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in Qatar, defended goalkeeper Yassine Bounou after making some mistakes against Brazil.

"Yassin is a human being in the end, and he is prone to making one or more mistakes. I trust him 200 per cent, and he assured me during the World Cup that he is up to that trust. I am sure that he will benefit from what happened to him, knowing that Mounir Al-Mohammadi remains ready and with all seriousness and desire."

The Morocco coach also defended his striker Abderrazak Hamdallah, in the face of the attack he is subjected to from the Moroccan press, saying, "I am the one who summoned Hamdallah to the national team, not the media, and I know why I summoned him. He maintained his high level at his club (Al-Ittihad) so I called him up again."

"Hamdallah is training and fighting to get his place, and it is possible that he will start against Peru," he added.