Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his side is determined to continue its historic FIFA World Cup run when it faces France in the quarterfinals on Thursday, insisting the Atlas Lions are not satisfied with reaching the last eight.
Speaking alongside midfielder Brahim Díaz at the pre-match news conference at Gillette Stadium, Ouahbi dismissed suggestions that Morocco had already exceeded expectations.
“I prefer to assess our tournament at the end,” Ouahbi said. “People say what we’ve achieved is already remarkable, and it is, but France are favorites and we will do everything to win. The only bonus is winning the World Cup.”
Morocco will be without its leading scorer, Ismael Saibari, who has scored three goals at the tournament. Ouahbi confirmed the midfielder has not recovered in time after suffering an injury against Canada in the round of 16.
“Everyone is available except Ismael Saibari,” the coach said. “This match comes a little too soon for him, but I hope he will not be ruled out for the rest of the tournament.”
Díaz said Morocco’s comeback performance against Canada had reinforced the squad’s confidence ahead of the meeting with France.
“We showed what we’re capable of in the second half,” he said. “We changed the way we played, came back into the match and won. That’s our mentality. We want to keep moving forward.”
Ouahbi said Morocco would remain faithful to the playing style that carried the team to the quarterfinals rather than introducing tactical surprises.
“We have a very clear idea of how we want to play,” he said. “That identity has brought us this far, and we believe it can take us even further.”
The coach also declined to reveal whether winger Chemsdine Talbi would start against France, stressing the importance of squad depth.
“When you want to go far in a tournament, you need everyone,” Ouahbi said. “The players who don’t start know they can come on and make the difference.”
Díaz, who will face his Real Madrid CF teammates Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni, said he was focused solely on helping Morocco reach the semifinals.
“They’re excellent players,” Díaz said. “But I want to help my team win and qualify. I’m ready, and I have great confidence that we can achieve a positive result.”
Ouahbi praised France’s full-backs but expressed confidence that Morocco could trouble the tournament favorites.
“They’re top players at top clubs,” he said. “The duels will be difficult, but if we play our football and find the spaces, we can beat any team.”
The Morocco coach also praised Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, describing him as the team’s “first supporter.”
“He works tirelessly and always brings positive energy,” Ouahbi said. “He’s always telling us that everything is possible.”
Asked about the officiating, Ouahbi expressed confidence in the match officials despite criticism surrounding refereeing decisions elsewhere in the tournament.
“We’re completely calm,” he said. “We’ve had experienced referees throughout the competition, and officiating is not something we’re concerned about.”
Díaz, who has provided four assists at the tournament, downplayed his individual statistics.
“It doesn’t matter who scores or who gets the assist,” he said. “Tomorrow, all I want is to win.”
The winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal will advance to the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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