Dguig: Morocco's game is based on rotation

• Hicham Dguig guided Morocco to a thrid straight Futsal AFCON title

• They have emerged as contenders to win the FIFA Futsal World Cup

• Dguig discusses Morocco's emergence and Uzbekistan 2024

Hicham Dguig is the embodiment of Moroccan futsal. A renowned playmaker for the national team in the 2000s and its coach since 2010, Dguig has been integral to the development of a discipline that he loves with a passion.

"When your role is that of playmaker, which tactically is the most important, not just in this sport but in other indoor disciplines like basketball, volleyball or handball, you have an approach to the game that’s constantly evolving, as you’re the link between the coach’s strategy and what happens on the court," the 52-year-old told FIFA. "And that approach kind of forces you to have a more highly-developed love for the sport."

Under his stewardship, Morocco qualified for their first FIFA Futsal World Cup™ in 2012 – an achievement that laid the groundwork for what became known as 'the Dguig touch'. Four years later, the Kenitra native arrived with his charges in Johannesburg for their maiden CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, where a 3-2 victory over Egypt in the final marked the start of Moroccan futsal supremacy on the continent.

"I have only two key words: work and perseverance," said Dguig. "It's what guides me and motivates me all day long. But my early years were challenging, as I was still a young coach. "I learned to master certain aspects of tournament life on the job. Then, in 2020, on home soil, [the AFCON title] was confirmation of the good work being done, while the 2024 triumph was the consecration."

Those exploits have made the Moroccan tactician a role model, with his longevity and tenacity drawing praise from his peers: "Hicham is the best coach in Morocco, Africa and beyond," said Walid Regragui, who guided Morocco to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ semi-finals.

In September, the three-time African champions will face their latest challenge: Uzbekistan 2024. "We can't wait to be there and believe we can contend," said Dguig. "We also have our status as continental champions to uphold. For sure, we’ll need to prepare well in order to be ready on the big day."

In conversation with FIFA, the Moroccan talks in details about the upcoming global finals, the development of futsal in his homeland and his side’s latest AFCON triumph, secured with a 5-1 win over Angola last month.

Hicham Dguig: I’ve not been the full-time coach for all 14 years. During the first five years, before our section became part of the Royal Moroccan Federation, we just had some occasional training camps in preparation for friendlies and competitions. I’d say the tipping point came after our first AFCON title in 2016. After that we became more professional and played a series of international games to maintain our level. We didn't rest on our laurels, which is what matters most. We did a colossal amount of work to build a solid foundation.

Work, pure and simple. When I was a Moroccan international, it was Egypt who ruled the continent. I always knew that as a Moroccan we could do better, because we have an innate talent for this discipline. When I quit playing, I became a FIFA instructor, an undertaking that helped me a lot. Thanks to my tours around Africa, I was able to find the ingredients that made me the tactician I am today. This helped me to formulate a clear vision for developing the national team.

Right from the start, as I had complete confidence in the abilities of my squad. The only doubt I had was on the psychological side, because we were playing in front of our own fans. I wondered how the boys were going to deal with this emotional burden and warned them before the tournament. I told them that the first thing we had to overcome was ourselves. You can see the mistakes we made in the first half of our opening game against Angola, which we won 5-2. Those errors were due to lapses in concentration, even if in the end we did well. We were a team capable of responding because, for the rest of the AFCON, we didn't concede once in the second half. From a technical and tactical standpoint, we were the best, as we were better prepared than the other teams.

Our method and system of play revolves around the team. We don't have a position that can only be filled by this or that player. Moreover, we don’t use a dedicated pivot, as all the players can fulfil that role. Our game is based on rotation and decentralisation: everyone attacks, everyone defends. That's why the players are always winning awards.

Brazil are one of the greatest futsal nations on the planet, with five world titles to their name. That represented a psychological obstacle, and they were more experienced than us, with it being our first quarter-final. Now, mentally, we're more battle-hardened and want to go as far as possible.

Given the teams taking part in this World Cup, we can expect serious opposition. There will be no time to waste, and we’ll need to quickly get down to business. From the point of view of marketing, infrastructure and standard of play, the Futsal World Cup has no need to be envious of its 11-a-side counterpart. I’m sure that Uzbekistan is preparing a great festival of futsal, and we’re looking forward to it. It's going to be an exceptional World Cup.

That's my record. I'm proud to be the first coach to have qualified with the same team for four successive World Cups. It's very satisfying. However, my trajectory as Morocco coach could not have been achieved without the confidence of the federation, the team around me, not to mention the sporting policies promoted by the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, thanks to whom we can enjoy good facilities and carry out our mission.

I can't explain the joy I felt on hearing the news. A few years ago, I was involved in the initiative that led to the creation of Morocco’s futsal centre. We established teams in all the age categories for boys and then set up the same thing for girls. It was very important to follow the evolution of our players closely. I’m already looking forward to seeing the players’ performances during that Women's World Cup, which I’m sure will create a beautiful chapter in FIFA’s history.