Elated Osorio sets sights on Russia 2018

Hirving Lozano’s 53rd-minute strike against Panama secured Mexico’s place at the 2018 World Cup on Friday but coach Juan Carlos Osorio knows the hard work starts now.

Mexico’s 1-0 win maintained their unbeaten record in qualifying and ensured they will return to Russia after finishing fourth at this summer’s Confederations Cup.

It is the seventh successive World Cup that Mexico have qualified for but on each of those occasions they have failed to get past the round of 16.

And while Osorio is keen to celebrate their latest achievement, he knows he must begin plotting how they can go deeper in the competition next year.

“The most important thing is to enjoy this moment. We set a goal for Mexico to qualify for the World Cup without any fuss, we have achieved our goals,” he told a media conference.

“Now we have the great honour of representing Mexico in the World Cup. Now a new stage begins.

“We have to enjoy it, but at the same time there is a big responsibility for what is coming, for that we are going to prepare.

“For this World Cup we will have less preparation, but we will try to have the best 11, and for those places there is a lot of competition. 

“Here is a very important generation, it is a great moment, we will do our best as professionals to give a great World Cup. 

“The goal is to continue building a better team. All that has happened we have to analyse to improve, so that this group of players think about glory.”