Le Matin: Is it pressure or excitement that you feel before the first match of the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup?

Ahmed Jahouh: Moghreb Tétouan has gone from the status of underdog to that of a strong link in national football in a handful of years, a period marked by two consecrations in three seasons. Taking this into account, I don't think we will be under pressure, because we have already demonstrated what we are capable of. Our only concern is to meet the expectations of the Tetouan public and the Moroccan public in general.

MAT had a shaky start to the season in the championship, settling for 3 wins in 11 matches. Was your mind preoccupied by the participation in the Mondialito?

No, I don't think so. It is true that we suffered at the beginning of this season, but this is due – in my humble opinion – to the fact that the teams we face often opt for a purely defensive style of play. Facing the defending champion, almost all teams concrete their defensive lines and settle for counter-attacks, and that creates a lot of problems for us. We were keen to garner the maximum number of points before the trip to Rabat, unfortunately, that was not the case. Despite this, I believe we were not bad. We are still in the middle of the table and we will be able to make up for it after the Mondialito.

You occupy a key role in Aziz El Amri's game system, you who orchestrate the play. Now that the midfielders are all available, do you think that the midfield line, which constitutes the major asset of MAT, will make the difference against Auckland City?

Our philosophy of play has already proven itself. The 3-6-1 entrusts a heavy responsibility to the midfielders, who must lend a hand to the defense and at the same time serve the striker, or even score. Thank God, the team has recovered Abdelaâdim Khadrouf and Nousseir El Mimouni who were injured just like myself. We are not going to change anything in our style of play, because we like it first of all and because we don't have the profile of players who can evolve in another tactical scheme like the 4-4-2. We are going to watch sequences of Auckland City's play and see if there are any touch-ups to be made to be immunized against bad surprises.

What do you expect from the Tetouan public during this tournament?

I hope that they will travel massively to the Moulay Abdellah complex in Rabat, because we need to feel warmth in the stands to exert ourselves more. I also hope that all Moroccans will cross their fingers for us. Everyone remembers the scenes of jubilation accompanying Raja's success last year and the crazy atmosphere that reigned in the Adrar stadium in Agadir and that of Marrakech later. This excessive fervor has a doping effect, it allows you to face the biggest teams in the world with full confidence.

After the 2013 edition of the Mondialito, several Raja players headed towards foreign championships. Do you think this tournament represents an opportunity to change scenery?

In my opinion, we must push these considerations out of our minds to focus on the stake of the entire team: to go as far as possible in the competition. Our main concern is to exhibit a beautiful image of Moroccan football as Raja had done before us. Moreover, if we manage to sign good performances, the spotlights will automatically be turned on us. Individual successes are closely linked to those of the team.

Your prediction?

We have tried to prepare well for the event, so I presume that we will reach at least the semi-final, unless a dramatic scenario comes to poison the situation.