Jamal Alioui and Farid Tahlaoui made significant impacts on Morocco's first game, though in quite different ways. While captain and centre-back Alioui was responsible for the match's undoubted turning point by getting a red card after 60 minutes, Tahlaoui was his team's outstanding player as he tormented the Costa Rican defence down the right flank from start to finish. We caught up with these two French-born Moroccans and found them to be full of confidence and eager to emulate Greece's surprise win at Euro 2004 and follow in the footsteps of the senior Atlas Lions at the recent African Cup of Nations.

"It's a well-known fact that nobody remembers the runners-up, you have to win to make an impression," says Jamal Alioui frankly, "We want to win, even if Mr De Coubertin reckoned taking part was all that counts. We know what we have to do."

As the captain of his country and the pillar of its defence, Alioui is unashamedly ambitious. His team-mate Farid Talhaoui is no less forthright, adding, "I want to make people sit up and take notice so that everyone remembers Morocco's contribution to the 2004 Olympic Games."

These young men have more in common than a powerful will to win. They are two of a sizeable portion of the Moroccan squad that have Moroccan parents but were born in France. The mix was not an instant hit. "At first, we did not gel particularly well," admits Alioui, "it was a case of the players who were born and bred in Morocco forming one clique and those of us born in France sticking together in another."

Farid interjects to confirm this feeling: "it took us a while to adapt, because we joined a group of players who had known each other since they were kids. They had grown up following a different life-style than we did. On the pitch, however, we all understood each other fine. And we've now reached a situation whereby our diversity makes us stronger rather than weaker."

Together, the North Africans make up an impressive squad. Alioui orchestrates a tight defensive unit and Talhaoui, who had the Costa Rican defence at sixes and sevens, is just one of several highly gifted individuals.

Both players say their experience of Europe was of great value to them in the first game. "I've learned a lot from playing for Perugia," explains Alioui, "but we have an excellent squad and those that are playing in the Moroccan league would be well capable of holding their own at European clubs."

Talhaoui plies his trade with Guingamp in the French Second Division, though injury forced him to miss most of last season. Having only returned to action in March, he may lack a little match practice, but his lay-off means he is fresh and fighting fit.

Alioui's red card against Costa Rica has given manager Mustapha Madih a major selection headache in the run-up to the meeting with Portugal and came as a bitter blow to the player himself.

"The referee told me I was the last defender, but I couldn't really be the judge of that," he says, "I'm gutted but there's nothing I can do about it. That was my first match back after injury and I had been playing pretty well and then suddenly I found myself getting sent off. It's going to be tough watching the Portugal game from the sidelines."

It's Portugal on paper
Despite Portugal's humbling by Iraq (2-4), Morocco will start very much as underdogs, not that that bothers them in the slightest. "The Portuguese are the group favourites. They are a fine team, full of players who proved their quality at the last European Championship," says Alioui, "but Morocco were not rated highly going into the last African Cup of Nations and we saw how well they did there [they reached the final ] ... so I prefer being seen as the outsiders."

Talhaoui echoes his captain's thoughts, though admits he is impressed by one Portuguese star in particular: "Cristiano Ronaldo really is an excellent player," he says, "he makes all sorts of things happen and looks to attack in everything he does. He has a huge range of talents but, importantly, is also a tremendous team player. Having said all that, in a one-off match situation, anything can happen."

They may admire their opponents, but they are far from over-awed at the prospect of taking on not just Ronaldo but also other big names like Hugo Viana, Tiago and Helder Postiga. In fact, the Moroccans seem to take it very much in their stride. "More and more of us are playing in Europe," says Alioui, "sure, Ronaldo plays with Manchester United in the Champions League, but some of our players have also played in that competition."

Alioui does not read too much into Portugal's defeat by Iraq, saying simply, "it doesn't make much difference to us. Our draw means we have to beat them. One thing for sure is that the Portuguese will be under much more pressure than us."

That pressure could prove crucial, since both players, who are convinced they can win a medal in Greece, believe victory will go to the team that is strongest mentally. Greece's triumph at UEFA EURO 2004 merely reinforced their confidence. 

"Greece taught everyone a valuable lesson, they showed that winning means first and foremost having a solid team," says Alioui, "player-for-player, they were not in the same class as France, the Czech Republic or Portugal, but their willingness to fight like lions for each other set them apart from everyone else." Talhaoui sums up by adding: "They won because of their mind-set. We must never lose sight of that fact."

Taking up the baton from Nigeria
They have come for the football, but both men will be following the other events closely and are looking forward to supporting their compatriot Hicham El-Guerrouj as he bids to justify his tag of heavy favourite for the 1500 metres. They are proud of their country, and also of their continent. "You must not forget that Africa has won the last two Olympic Football Tournaments. So we have to carry on from where others have left off," explains the Perugia defender. "The qualification process is very tough in Africa; physically it is very demanding because the pitches are often in a bad way and the style of play often quite rugged. As a result, those of us that make it to the Olympics are well and truly battle-hardened."

Once again, Talhaoui shares his team-mates appraisal, and points out that "while we are hard, we are also skilful and our game is based on having the ball at our feet."

If Greece gave an example at the European Championship, then the performance of Nigeria at the Atlanta Games was also inspirational. "Like us, they were not heavily fancied at the outset," says the Guingamp winger, "no one thought of them as possible winners.  But they went home with the Gold after beating Brazil and Argentina along the way." 

While they dream of flying as high as the Super Eagles or emulating the Cameroon side of four years ago, Morocco are fully focused on upsetting Portugal in Heraklion on Sunday 15 August - and will give every last drop of energy trying to do just that.

"We want to put everything we've got into this competition so that we go home with our heads held high whenever the time comes," says Alioui before concluding, "our aim is to leave with no regrets."

With Portugal pride severely dented after losing to Iraq, Sunday's match promises to be anything but dull …