Spain, Portugal and Morocco's World Cup Preparation matches

[Rooyintan]

Over ‘Security Concerns’ Belgian Football Team Refuses to Play Friendly Against Morocco
By Safaa Kasraoui - December 12, 2017

Rabat – It appeared that Morocco’s Royal Football Federation’s (FRMF) ambition to make the Belgian national football team a sparring partner for the Atlas Lions will not pan out. Youssef Hijoub, a Moroccan FIFA agent, has said that the Belgian team declined FRMF’s invitation due to security concerns.

The Moroccan national football squad is set to play a set of friendlies in preparation for the upcoming 2018 World Cup matches. On December 5, Moroccan news outlets reported that the Moroccan federation was seeking to arrange a friendly game between the Moroccan and the Belgian team, which is set to be played in March.

Speaking in a TV program featured by French news channel France24, Hijoub said that the Belgian authorities refused friendlies against countries of North Africa, including Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria in order to avoid all security threats.

The Moroccan team was placed in Group B along with two European countries, including Portugal and Spain. The team will also face Iran. In order to evaluate the team’s weaknesses and strengths, the federation is planning multiple friendlies with European teams as the team will confront two European champions.

The two teams met previously at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on March 26, 2008. The game finished with 4-1 in favor of the Moroccan team. Some Moroccan fans invaded the stadium before the end of the match, which was suspended for 10 minutes before the police were able to achieve order.

Hijoub told France24 that Portugal will play two friendlies against Algeria and Tunisia before their World Cup clash against the Moroccan team, which is scheduled to take place on June 20.

The Moroccan team will also play against Iran on June 15 and against Spain on June 25.


https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/201...cco-world-cup/

[Rooyintan]

Ronaldo leads Portugal against the Pharaohs in friendly game next March
Tuesday 12/December/2017 - 06:05 PM - Ahmed Moamar

Officials of the first football national team (nicknamed as the Pharaohs) have received approval of their counterpart of Portugal to hold a friendly game between the two squads on March 24.
The Pharaohs will start a training camp in frame of preparing for the next version of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The Portuguese officials affirmed that stars of their national team، especially Cristiano Ronaldo will participate at the envisioned game.
It is staled that Lugarno، a Swiss city will host the Egyptian – Portuguese.
The Portuguese national team will organize a training camp there.
It is worth to mention that the Pharaohs will contest at the next World Cup after a period of absence for 28 years

https://en.el-balad.com/2359688

[Paradigm]

Iran should play a friendly with Argentina sometime next Spring. It will be a good preparation for the Spain match, based on the fairly comparable technical style of play.

[Jadou]

I'm assuming Hachim Mastour is out of the equation...? God, I use to love that kid and think he would be an AC Milan legend, but they are already labeling him as failed. Which is crazy to think about given he's only 19!!!

Hachim Mastour unfortunatelly was never serious in training or in his "job" as footballer, he is more intrerested in pubs, taking things easy, thinking talent is all, he is the best since he do better than neymar and co in freestyle circus football... but he is wrong of course, he gone on loan to Malaga, spain but they sent him away after few months, same with Zwolle in eredivisie.., he is back to Milan AC for last chance probably but he still didn't show his nose, him and Adel Taarabt are probably 2 of few best technical player in the world in last 10 years but both destroyed many opportunities for years, Taarabt is trying to get back at 28 old and he is doing well in genoa,Italy, even if he is still addicted to making nutmegs to opponents, i hope he will stop and play real football, not street football, you can do whatever you want if yous ecured teh win of the match but not when you are losing the match...
Mastour still in limbo unfortunatelly, i hope he will not waste long years like Taarabt, Talent is never enough, work, work and work is what matter, i will always prefer even not talented player but hard worker and serious player than genius who is not serious and not hard working, the most important in any sport or any job, is regularity, consistency...., talent can make the show in 1 match and disappear in 10, hard worker will do great in 10matches and can miss 1 match.. easy decision i think.

such talented players need good environement around them, nice, smart,caring family and friends, psy... maybe get married and have responsability and stability...
when suddenly at 13/14 years old , people, specialists.. journalists.. call you the new Messi ,genius and big clubs fight and pay millions dollars for you, it easy the kid get lost if people around him dont keep his feet on ground and don't focus only on taking profit of him until they fnish him.

[Jadou]

"The FRMF has received several proposals for friendly matches (England, Poland, Iceland, Panama, Italy, an Asian and South American nation whose names have not filtered) but HR is slow to validate opponents' choices, so the federation wait for the coach decisions to confirm 4 matches. 2 matches will be probably in switzerland where 2nd camp will be held, 1st concentration will be in National center in Maamora forrest, near Rabat, all football selections will have concentration there now it has been totally renovated and enlarged (hotel, medical complex, enough football fields.. etc....) it's possible to receive all selections even in same time, and last concentration will be in Russia"

"the match against Argentina, probably cancelled, not sure yet but it seems argentina federation is a mess, there is no official interlocutor but several agents try negociate for a lot of money... "

i think they will be in Russia little early.
i hope "England'wembley), Italy, Poland And Iceland or maybe Chile .. anyway, whatever HR choose wil be fine, he know better..

[Rooyintan]

"the match against Argentina, probably cancelled, not sure yet but it seems argentina federation is a mess, there is no official interlocutor but several agents try negociate for a lot of money... "

Before the World Cup draw, for March 2018 Argentina had long planned to take part in Kirin Cup in Japan and also a friendly with Morocco, they were going to go with either Kirin Cup or Morocco friendly + another friendly. However, after the world cup draw everything changed. Argentina will play the following friendlies:

Italy vs Argentina, 23/03/2018, Venue: In Italy.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, 27/03/2018, Venue: Europe?

[Kiarash]

My original point was that CQ crafted a team of mostly IPL players fit enough to last against those teams. Players from Teams with terrible fitness became juggernauts.
Prior to the WC, people were saying Nigeria was going to run circles around us.
It takes an insane amount of stamina to park the bus by the way. Constant changes in flow. Lots of mental energy exhausted keeping shape.

Parking the bus is probably one of the hardest strategy there is, staying 90 minutes focused and getting constantly attacked by the opponent and not getting cracked is very tough.

[Rooyintan]

Before the World Cup draw, for March 2018 Argentina had long planned to take part in Kirin Cup in Japan and also a friendly with Morocco, they were going to go with either Kirin Cup or Morocco friendly + another friendly. However, after the world cup draw everything changed. Argentina will play the following friendlies:

Italy vs Argentina, 23/03/2018, Venue: In Italy.
Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, 27/03/2018, Venue: Europe?

Actually I just checked wikipedia and I saw that Argentina is gonna participate in Kirin Cup, Japan plays Ukraine on 23/03/2018, then Argentina on 27/03/2018.
Not sure if they found a 4th team or the 3 teams just gonna play eachother.

[Jadou]

Little report of interview H.Renard made with Bein/le matin(moroccan newspaper)

"Six months to the World Cup, national coach Hervé Renard talked about the hot topics of the Atlas Lions on the beIN sport channel. The French technician was ambitious in setting himself the goal of qualifying for the round of 16 and, why not, be the first African team to reach the semi-finals.

Qualifying in the round of 16 is the ambition of national coach Hervé Renard. "Morocco today has all the assets to compete with the best. We must keep our mindset and our solidarity to qualify in the round of 16 and why not be the first African country to qualify in the semifinals of a World Cup ", insisted Renard in an interview with beIN sport. The goal is clear. Renard, who will play his first World Cup, wants to give the best of himself to make a good journey with the Atlas Lions. "I want to live it and give the best of myself to make a good World Cup race and not just participate to participate." The French technician, in addition, returned to the crucial encounter against Ivory Coast, ensuring that he and his staff have prepared this match with confidence. "We put the players in confidence. We are proud of our match because it was a decisive match. We managed to fulfill our mission as we had wished.

Desires to leave after CAN 2017?
Asked about relations a little tense with the press and a part of the Moroccan public, Renard underlined that he had thought to throw in the towel several times: "There were times when, actually, I thought to leave . I did not have any problems with the players, but there were other things that made me think about leaving, but the FRMF president convinced me of the project. I was not convinced of the success of the project at 100%, but he convinced me and I thank him very much. I also thank the players. Renard, who has been successful in qualifying the Atlas Lions in the World Cup after 20 years of absence, has six months ahead of him to prepare for this great global football event. Placed in Group B, Morocco will have to fight hard to get out of the group that also includes Portugal, Spain and Iran."

ahh coach, Hervé Renard and the FRMF have decided to install "their base camp" in the city of Voronezh, calm not so big city, it's about 1hour to 2hours30 flight far from all cities morocco will play in, 500kms from Moscow.

[Leicester City]

Theoretically, the only team we can park the bus against is Portugal and focus on closing down Ronaldo or Eder. Against Morocco we need to win and let’s be real Spain are going to score on us so no use in parking the bus against them, so we should play all out attack and hope something happens.

[Iranianarsenal11]

Theoretically, the only team we can park the bus against is Portugal and focus on closing down Ronaldo or Eder. Against Morocco we need to win and let’s be real Spain are going to score on us so no use in parking the bus against them, so we should play all out attack and hope something happens.

Lolololol Eder is ashghal bro

[Jadou]

Morocco Mars concentration and matches will be focused on Iran match, ,it's the key match as HR said, it seems Morocco will meet Serbia and uzbek teams.
Serbian and Uzbek choice was justified by the solid play and physical commitment that characterizes their style, similar to iranian team style!!., i'm not sure but we will see.

[Leicester City]

Lolololol Eder is ashghal bro

How dare you talk about Lord Eder like that?!?!

[Jadou]

Theoretically, the only team we can park the bus against is Portugal and focus on closing down Ronaldo or Eder. Against Morocco we need to win and let’s be real Spain are going to score on us so no use in parking the bus against them, so we should play all out attack and hope something happens.

Eder? i think it's one of the worse forward Portugal ever had, no need to talk about Ronaldo but attacking midfield, Bernardo Silva can be problem maybe not Eder i think, anyway CQ know that team better than anyone else on planet, so Iran have interesting advantage against Portugal, no worries.

[teammelli91]

Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Hakim Ziyech are dominating Eredivisie Jadou aziz.

What are your thoughts on Hakim? What kind of player is he? Is he a regular in your national team? Also I hope you’re doing well and not annoyed by us We want you to know that we are very happy to have you on board. Please stay even after the World Cup.