World Cup 2026: Morocco Will Stay True to its Identity Against France, Says Coach Ouahbi

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said Wednesday that the Atlas Lions will remain faithful to their playing identity when they take on France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, expressing his team’s determination to continue its impressive run in the tournament.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s clash at Boston Stadium, the Moroccan coach said his players are approaching the encounter with confidence and ambition while fully recognizing the quality of their opponent.

“We respect France, but we are focused on ourselves and on the way we play,” Ouahbi said, stressing that Morocco has no intention of abandoning the principles that have underpinned its success since the start of the tournament.

He emphasized the Atlas Lions’ determination to keep writing their own chapter in World Cup history, dismissing any notion of sporting revenge.

“We simply want to continue our journey. Regardless of the opponent, our objective remains the same: to go as far as possible in this competition,” he said.

According to Ouahbi, Morocco’s showing reflect the steady progress of Moroccan football on the international stage.

“When people talk about Morocco today, they talk about a genuine contender and a major football nation. That is a tremendous source of pride. We want to keep going; we do not want to stop here,” he said, reiterating the team’s ambition to compete for the world title.

Morocco’s national coach also noted that major tournaments are won as much through emotional control as through technical quality.

“In a World Cup, there will always be difficult moments. The key is to remain strong when we are under pressure and to continue believing in our qualities,” he said.

Speaking of the Moroccan squad, Ouahbi confirmed that all players are fit and available except Ismaël Saibari, who will miss the match through injury, while expressing confidence in the team’s collective ability to rise to the challenge.

The Atlas Lions will face France on Thursday with the ambition of securing a place in the semi-finals and extending what is already a historic World Cup campaign.

Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, a graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, was named Man of the Match after Morocco’s 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Houston, a win that secured the Atlas Lions’ place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ounahi delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a decisive brace in the second half. He opened the scoring before adding a second goal to put Morocco firmly on course for a historic qualification. Soufiane Rahimi sealed the victory with a third goal late in the match.

The award recognized the Moroccan midfielder’s commanding display, his influence in midfield and his attacking efficiency in this knockout encounter.

Ounahi is regarded as one of the success stories of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which has played a key role in developing several Moroccan internationals competing at the highest level.

Following the victory, Morocco advances to the World Cup quarter-finals, where it will face the winner of the match between France and Paraguay.

Morocco’s national football team booked its place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Canada 3-0 on Saturday at Houston Stadium.

The Atlas Lions broke the deadlock in the second half through a brace from Azzedine Ounahi, who opened the scoring in the 50th minute before adding his second goal in the 82nd minute.

Soufiane Rahimi sealed Morocco’s victory deep into stoppage time (90+8), scoring the third goal to complete an emphatic win.

Defensively solid and far more enterprising after the break, Mohamed Ouahbi’s men controlled the game before capitalizing on the spaces left by the Canadians to secure a fully deserved qualification.

In the quarter-finals, Morocco will face the winner of the match between France and Paraguay.

The Moroccan football team qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after its victory against the Netherlands on penalties (3-2), Monday evening at the Monterrey stadium, in Mexico.

At the end of an intense and indecisive meeting, the two teams parted with a parity score (1-1) at the end of regulation time and overtime.

The Netherlands opened the scoring through Cody Gakpo in the 72nd minute, before Morocco came back into the game thanks to Issa Diop, scorer of the equalizing goal in the first minute of added time.

During the penalty shootout, the Atlas Lions were more effective in securing their ticket to the next round of the competition.

The Moroccan football national team will face its Dutch counterpart in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, on June 29 at the Monterrey stadium in Mexico.

The Atlas Lions, who finished second in group C with seven points behind Brazil on goal difference, will take on the first in group F for a spot in the round of 16.

Morocco made it to the first knockout round after holding Brazil (1-1) to a draw in its first game, before winning against Scotland (1-0) and Haiti (4-2).

The Netherlands, for their part, finished at the top of Group F to secure their ticket to the round of 32.

The winner of the Morocco-Netherlands match will face the winner between Canada and South Africa in the round of 16 to be played on July 4 in Houston, Texas.

For its part, Brazil, which finished first in Group C, will face Japan, second in Group F.

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi hailed his side’s qualification for the next round of the FIFA World Cup following their 4-2 victory over Haiti, stressing that the achievement was above all the result of strong collective teamwork.

“I’m satisfied. We won the match and secured qualification. That’s what matters most,” Ouahbi said during the post-match press conference.

The Moroccan coach was keen to highlight the contribution of the entire squad, steering away from individual performances.

“I’m not going to focus on individuals. The whole group did an excellent job. Some players had not seen much playing time up to now, but they stepped up when called upon,” he said.

Ouahbi also emphasized the depth and complementarity within the Moroccan squad.

“We don’t have starters and substitutes. We have a complementary group in which every player fulfills his role perfectly when he comes on. The goals scored today by Rahimi and Gessime are a perfect illustration of that,” he explained.

The Moroccan coach added that his team’s greatest strength lies in its unity and mentality.

“We have a very good team. Our strength is the group. We respect all our opponents, but we fear no one and approach every match with the ambition to win,” he said.

Reflecting on the preparation for the match, Ouahbi noted that his staff had anticipated every possible scenario.

“We were prepared for all possibilities. Whatever our position in the standings, our objective remains the same: preserve the unity of the group, analyze our opponents thoroughly, and give everything on the pitch,” he concluded.