European League: Ryan Mmaee desires all six points, not one

Before the first game of the Europa League group stage, all he wanted was to earn more points than last season. In the last round of the cup series, Ferencváros had a total of three points against Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis, and Celtic, and their current nine points are more than a dream. Ryan Mmaee said ahead of the first game against Trabzonspor that they want to make life difficult for their opponents and be in competition until the end. And there you go!

"I want more every year," Ryan Mmaee, the 24-year-old Moroccan national team striker who joined Ferencváros in July 2021, told our portal. “It was important that we defeated Trabzonspor at home in the first clash, and we did it with a man down. That win gave us a big boost, we knew we had a good team, and from then on, we believed in ourselves even more."

He doesn't like math, he doesn't calculate with two rounds to go in the group stage. Even though one point is enough to make the spring rounds, he does not believe a match should start with thinking that a draw is enough.

"It would be a big mistake if we tried to keep the result against Monaco. Against a team of this quality, it's very difficult to go ninety minutes without conceding a goal, and we've shown in recent weeks that good results come with a brave and determined performance. We can earn up to six points in the remaining two games and we are preparing with that in mind."

FTC won 1-0 against Monaco with a goal from Bálint Vécsei in September (Photo: MTI/Tamás Kovács)

It will also be important for the players' conscience that they give their best this time as well. The 4-2 success at home to Puskás Akadémia on the weekend is a good basis for Thursday's clash, with the footballers regaining their self-esteem after the cup defeat in Iváncsa.

"We were all sorry to get eliminated from the Hungarian Cup, but we can't change this fact. From now on, we will focus on making up for this slip-up with the best possible results. Our win in Felcsút this weekend was also important because it gave us another experience before the clash against Monaco.

Monaco is not in a good form; the team is winless in its last three games. They lost 4-0 in Trabzon in the Europa League, then drew 1-1 at home to Clermont in the league, before losing 4-3 at home to Lille on the weekend. Ryan Mmaee says that should not fool Ferencváros. The striker expects a combative and motivated Monaco.

"The performance of the French team has been really inconsistent lately. But, if we start from that, we don't know which side it will show this time. Monaco is strong, we have to be wary. We've prepared ourselves for their game, Stanislav Cherchesov and his staff have analyzed our rivals well this time, too."

Ryan Mmaee returned from an injury at the beginning of the season, and he doesn't deny that it took him some time to get back to his old form. He missed four months of playing on the pitch; the bitter period took its toll on him.

"I've never had to miss so much practice before. Maybe that's why I found the situation difficult. The days and weeks went by slowly, but I worked a lot with the rehabilitation specialists, which gave me strength. I've been getting back in shape week by week and now I'm close to my best. I am enjoying football again! In the beginning, I missed a lot of opportunities, I was very unlucky, sometimes the ball bounced off the goalposts, or sometimes it was kicked out just before the goal line. But I didn't give up, I knew that soon the tide would turn, and the goals would come."

He scored an important goal for Puskás Akadémia on the weekend, scoring four goals in eight games in the NB I season, but has yet to score in the Europa League group stage.

"It doesn't bother me at all. We've got nine points, we're top of the table, I'd look stupid if I was bitter about the fact that I haven't scored in the group stage. I've had some opportunities, and I will have more and I'm confident I can score in one of the two remaining games."

His talent is unquestionable when he wants to play football, he's unstoppable. But his mentality is a problem at times. In recent seasons, it has often seemed that while his teammates have been ploughing up the pitch to win, he has been too casual in his approach to a match. He lives with his brother Samy Mmaee, and they talk a lot about football (too). If anyone, his older brother by a year can have an effect on him.

"Samy always has a good view of my situation, he tells me what he thinks I should change. What goes on in our conversations is our secret, but he gives me good advice."

The brothers are now looking to leave a mark in the Europa League, and from November 20, they hope to show what they can do at the World Cup in Qatar. With Morocco facing Belgium, Croatia, and Canada in the World Cup group stage, Ryan and Samy Mmaee are excited about the upcoming squad announcement.

"We both want to be there in Qatar. Neither of us can be sure if we make the squad, we just hope so. I want to play good football against Monaco, I want to win, but earning a point is the minimum expectation. We can deal with the World Cup later."