Wydad coach: We will surprise the world against Juventus
Wydad Casablanca coach Mohamed Amine Benhachem expressed his team's readiness for a tough match against Juventus in the second round of Group D of the Club World Cup, which will be held at Lincoln Financial Field. In a press conference held before the match, Benhachem said: "I stated before the start of the tournament that our goal was to torture our opponents on the field, and I still adhere to this principle, but today I also confirm that we aspire to win and qualify for the next round." He added: "Before our first match against Manchester City, we did not realize the true level we would perform at. It was a match to discover our capabilities, and now we realize that we are capable of competing with the top clubs." The Wydad coach confirmed that the players have greater belief in their abilities after the honorable performance against Manchester City, despite the defeat, noting that the team created real scoring opportunities in difficult circumstances. He continued: "I met with the players after the match, and we agreed on a unified goal, which is to qualify. Everyone has become aware that nothing is impossible in this tournament." Regarding the technical aspects, Benhachem explained that the Juventus match will differ in terms of style and plan, noting the possibility of Ayoub Bouchta being on the bench after his gradual recovery, while Hamza Hanouri's participation remains contingent on the team's qualification to the second round, as he is likely to miss the Juventus and Al Ain matches. Regarding the importance of the match, Benhachem stressed: "We suffered a defeat in the first round, so there is no room for complacency. It is true that we played bravely against Manchester City, but we did not achieve victory, and the Juventus match is decisive; it will either put us on the path to qualification or push us to play a friendly match against Al Ain." He concluded his statements by saying: "We witnessed many surprises in the group stage, and we hope to be the surprise of this round."
