Mbark Boussoufa determined to get past the first round in Russia

Mbark Boussoufa, the Moroccan mid-fielder who’s to accompany the Atlas lions to Russia this summer is determined to perform well at the international competition. In an interview conducted by FIFA and published Monday, the 33-year-old footballer insisted that the national team will be «ready to put in a good performance».

«We’re going to come up against some great teams and we know what to expect. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens», said Boussoufa commenting on Morocco’s group and which includes Portugal, Spain and Iran.

For Boussoufa, who had already played for six seasons in Moscow, winning this game is all about setting up a goal and going for it. «We’re not going to the World Cup just to take part but to show what we’re capable of. We’re going to do all we can to get past the first round», he added.

«We have to be ready to take on any team, from the first match to the last», he said referring to the opening match Morocco is to play against Iran and which Boussoufa called «decisive».

For the record, the Morocco national football team was qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after successfully defeating the Ivorian Elephants on the 11th of November in Abidjan. Scoring two goals, the team secured a ticket to Russia.

Nabil Dirar scored during the first half time while Mehdi Benatia did the same minutes later. Morocco was topping its group before flying to Ivory Coast.