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Fans are unhappy to see Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi not start the 2022 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off clash against Croatia today (December 17).
Ounahi, who plies his trade for Ligue 1 side Angers, has been one of the revelations of the tournament. His wizardry in the middle of the pitch has garnered attention from the fans.
Famous coaches like Luis Enrique and Jose Mourinho have lauded the 22-year-old midfielder for his outstanding technical ability.
Walid Regragui, however, has decided to put Ounahi on the bench for the clash against Croatia. This decision might be a result of the player being fatigued as well.
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Regragui's side were knocked out of contention for winning the tournament in the semi-finals. France put an end to their historic run with a 2-0 win.
Regardless, the Atlas Lions etched their name in history in Qatar as they became the first African team in the history of the tournament to reach the last four.
Ounahi certainly played a starring role in their campaign. Fans were disappointed to see the Angers man not start the game. One fan also claimed that he was keen to see the midfield battle between Ounahi and Croatia's Mateo Kovacic.
Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter after Regragui decided to put Ounahi on the bench for Morocco's final FIFA World Cup game:
Morocco coach Walid Regragui is keeping his team motivated for FIFA World Cup third-place clash against Croatia
Morocco coach Walid Regragui expressed his disappointment at his side not reaching the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, he added that it's better for the Atlas Lions to finish third with a win against Croatia than to finish fourth. Regragui said ahead of the game (via Telegraph India):
“It’s like the booby prize, I am sorry for speaking like this. I understand that it should be important, I understand that it is better to finish third than fourth, but for me, my takeaway is that we just didn’t get to the final.”
Regragui added:
“Finishing third would be great for our image. We would be on the podium, But you know what, even if we win the game tomorrow (Saturday), we won’t have won the World Cup.”
Morocco could become the first African and Arab team to finish third at the FIFA World Cup with a win over Croatia.
