The 44-year-old Spaniard, who guided Spain to the 2023 Women’s World Cup before his contentious exit due to the Luis Rubiales kissing scandal, thinks his Atlas Lionesses have shown the mental toughness needed to win Morocco’s first continental championship.
Given the circumstances surrounding Vilda’s departure from the Spain position—where he was exonerated of charges of coercion but departed during the fallout from then-federation president Rubiales’ assault on player Jenni Hermoso—reactions to his selection by Morocco were divided.
But the coach’s tactical sense and inspirational abilities have won over players and supporters in no time.
“Nigeria has shown a lot of improvement through the tournament and overcome some very difficult teams, but we are going to face them without any inferiority complex,” the coach said, praising Nigeria’s tournament progress and recognizing their progress throughout the competition.
Morocco’s journey to the final has presented the former Spain manager with a number of difficult situations, such as falling behind Ghana at halftime in the semi-final and falling behind Zambia twice in the opening match. His tactical alterations have been extremely important, especially in the semi-final, where they completely changed Morocco’s performance during the half.
Morocco would have the mental toughness to face Nigeria’s formidable reputation and long WAFCON history, according to Vilda. The Super Falcons are vying for a record-tying 10th championship and have won nine straight finals.
“In games like this, the psychological component takes precedence over the physical one,” he continued.
“Nigeria boasts athletes with exceptional individual qualities who are strong physically. They have won the trophy numerous times and compete in major leagues.
Prior to the final, the coach disclosed injury worries, stating that striker Fatima Tagnaout was doubtful and would be put to the test on Friday during their last practice. These selection conundrums show how difficult it is to manage player availability while getting ready for such a big match.
In addition to winning the Women’s World Cup with Spain, Vilda would become the first coach to lead a North African team to WAFCON glory if he were to lead Morocco to victory. His arrival might serve as the impetus for a momentous victory that would validate Morocco’s contentious coaching choice.
