Mohamed Rabie Hrimat's teammates have secured their place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Arab Cup 2025, which is being held in Qatar until December 18.

A direct qualification thanks to Karim El Berkaoui, who scored the only goal of the match against Hervé Renard's players (1-0), allowing Morocco to finish top of Group B with 7 points, just ahead of the Green Falcons (6 points).

A narrow but important victory against a solid team. We were in a delicate position before the match; we absolutely had to win. Our opponents were a solid team, qualified for the World Cup, with experienced players, physically fit, well-organized, and led by a good coach, explained coach Tarik Sektioui after the match.

Facing a Saudi team that has played together for a long time, the coach emphasized the freshness and lack of collective experience of his players: Our team has only just gotten to know each other. Some played together for the first time in the very first match. We prepared for this match with confidence, because we had to win it.

The coach then went on to praise his players' attitude:"We saw lads who gave their all, who fought for the flag, who defended and attacked with conviction. I want to thank them, they played a great match."

Satisfied, he nevertheless remains true to his approach:"Each team has its own style, and we adapt match after match. The way we played in the first, second, and third matches will be the same for the rest of the tournament, all the way to the final, God willing."

Sektioui also addressed the less-than-ideal conditions for this competition: Some players arrived late, others were playing in the Champions League... We started the tournament weakened. (Youssef) Mehri couldn't come, and (Achraf) Bencharki got injured while he was with us here. (Walid) Azaro was missing today, and (Abderrazak) Hamdallah was suspended... It wasn't easy. But we believe in our players. We absolutely wanted to win, and if that wasn't possible, we couldn't afford to lose.

The coach also wanted to thank the fans present at Lusail Stadium: I want to thank the Moroccan fans, who are the best in the world.

After this narrow but valuable victory, the Lions will be able to rest and regain their rhythm in training before their quarter-final against Syria, scheduled for Thursday, December 11.