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Morocco accepts World Cup quarter-final defeat to France, coach Mohamed Ouahbi calls for self-criticism
via Egypt Today3 min read
Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged his team's 2-0 defeat to France in the World Cup quarter-finals, stating they lost to a better team. Despite the loss, Ouahbi urged his players to maintain their pride but also emphasized the need for self-criticism and progress. He noted that France dominated possession and created more problems, particularly on the flanks and in the center. Ouahbi admitted Morocco lacked ideas and freshness when in possession and that their transitions were not effective. He recognized France as a great team with excellent players and superior goal-scoring opportunities. Morocco, who reached the semi-finals four years prior in Qatar where they also lost to France, will co-host the next World Cup in 2030 with Spain and Portugal. Ouahbi, born in Brussels to Moroccan parents, expressed hope that France would face Belgium in the semi-finals, praising France's qualities and their potential to win the trophy.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.
Dr. Hani Sweilem, Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, met with Dr. Mohamed Rushdi, Chairman of the High Dam and Aswan Reservoir Authority, to review strategic projects and efforts to enhance the High Dam's management and operational efficiency. The discussions focused on strengthening the High Dam's resilience against current and future challenges. The Minister also met with Mustafa Senousi, Director General of the Minister's Office for Nile and International Water Affairs, to review progress in modernizing the High Dam and Aswan Reservoir's management and operation system. Dr. Sweilem emphasized the High Dam's role as a cornerstone of Egypt's water security and the Ministry's commitment to upgrading its systems with advanced technologies and digital solutions. The meeting covered updates on the High Dam's monitoring and measurement system under the Egyptian Water System 2.0 initiative, including advanced equipment and real-time data collection. Progress on increasing the discharge capacity of the Toshka Canal and Spillway was also reviewed. Additionally, a joint research project to develop a decision support system for High Dam operations, involving advanced analytical models, was discussed. Dr. Sweilem directed Ministry entities to coordinate closely and accelerate modernization programs to ensure the High Dam continues to safeguard Egypt's water security and support sustainable water resource management.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente stated on Thursday that Belgium will present his team's most challenging match yet in the World Cup quarter-finals. Spain has reached the last eight without conceding a goal, securing their spot with a 1-0 victory over Portugal. De la Fuente highlighted Belgium's experienced squad, noting their players' proven pedigree at major European clubs. He described Belgium as a "very powerful team" and anticipated a challenging match. The winners of Friday's game in Los Angeles will face France in the semi-finals, after France defeated Morocco 2-0. De la Fuente emphasized Spain's complete focus on Belgium, despite the prospect of facing France. He also commented on the attacking potential of 18-year-old Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored four goals in the tournament. De la Fuente praised Yamal's growing maturity and defensive contributions, expressing confidence in his attacking quality. He concluded by stressing that Spain's success is built on collective effort, quoting Marcus Aurelius: “What is bad for the hive is also bad for the bee.”
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad, Badr Abdelatty, held separate telephone calls with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, Ayman Safadi; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. The discussions centered on recent Iranian attacks targeting Arab nations, the safety of regional citizens, and strategic measures to address the repercussions. Minister Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s full solidarity with the targeted nations, rejecting aggression that compromises their security, sovereignty, or domestic stability. He stressed Egypt's firm support for measures to protect their borders and national security, emphasizing the close fraternal ties and shared destiny linking the nations, and reiterating that the security of Arab Gulf states and Jordan is integral to Egypt's national security.