Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi had just been asked what would inspire his players to justify the feverish expectation hanging over them. Would they turn to the example of history, or would they draw on something else? “The biggest motivation the players have is to put on the jersey and represent the country,” he began. “That is motivation enough to move mountains.”
It would be some feat if they managed to alter the geology of Cerro de la Silla, the claw-shaped double peak that overwhelms the skyline around Estadio Monterrey, where Morocco and the Netherlands will play in the World Cup Round of 32.
But both teams are ready for a test of strength that could, at once, grace this World Cup and do it a disservice. One of these teams, jostling among those hopefuls just below the five or six favourites, will earn the kind of win that gives lift-off in a tournament. The other will go home unseasonably early and face inevitable recriminations.
Related: World Cup glory could all come down to penalties. What’s the best strategy?
The outcome looks impossible to call. Perhaps it will come down to who can handle the heat, projected to be at least 30 degrees C / 86 degrees F when the game begins at 7pm local time. This time the hydration breaks will prove worthy of the name.