Exactly when Morocco plays the semi-final of the World Cup against France on Wednesday evening, the futsal players of Lebo will compete against HV Veerhuys in the premier league. At the moment the coach of the Amsterdam team Lebo is Zaid el Morabiti in Qatar. He hopes to stay there to watch the already legendary match of the Moroccan team live in the stadium. “It’s really a dilemma.”
Actually, El Morabiti would fly back to the Netherlands today, so that he can sit on the bench with his team on Wednesday as a coach. This game was postponed last Friday, because the Orange had to play against Argentina that evening. “We have a lot of guys with a Moroccan background. We are looking at whether we can move the match, because everyone wants to see that match.”
El Morabiti had traveled to Qatar to give a futsal clinic. In addition to Lebo’s coach, he is also employed by the KNVB as an assistant national coach. He now hopes to stay longer. “This is once in a while that you get such an opportunity. I have to coordinate with the board and staff what the best option is.”
One possibility is that the game will continue without El Morabiti and he will leave the coaching to his assistants Mohamed Akazim and Ricardo de Sanders. As number three in the premier league, Lebo has already qualified for the championship group.
Impressive
Last Friday, El Morabiti was in the stadium where the Dutch national team was eliminated by Argentina. An unforgettable experience. “Impressive with 88,000 supporters, ninety percent of whom are Argentinians who whistle and sing for 120 minutes. That tension and the final phase were bizarre, but the match was not really of a high level.”
With Argentina, El Morabiti says he has not seen the upcoming world champion at work. “No, of course not! That is Morocco, of course. They have already eliminated so many countries. Why not? They have a good vibe and a lot of supporters here. They have constantly surprised me. Of course it is hope, but I just believe in it.”