Head Coach Regragui Unveils Squad for AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire

The Moroccan national football team arrived on Sunday, from Boston, at the Rabat-Salé Airport, following its participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Moroccan national team was eliminated from the competition in the quarter-finals after a two to nil loss against France, following an outstanding campaign that cemented its spot among the world’s best national teams, and confirmed Moroccan football’s continued development.

The Atlas Lions had ended the group stage phase in the second place with 7 points, edged out on goal difference by group leaders Brazil, following a draw against the Seleção (1-1) and two victories against Scotland (1-0) and Haiti (4-2).

Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad had then qualified for the round of 16 by defeating the Netherlands (1-1 at full time and AET, 3-2 after penalties), before making their way to the quarter-final round, handing Canada a 3-0 defeat.

During this World Cup, which was the first edition with 48 teams, Morocco was the only African and Arab national team that reached the quarters, ending the tournament among the 8 best footballing nations.

Morocco saw its 2026 World Cup adventure come to an end in the quarter-finals after a 2-0 defeat to France on Thursday at the Boston stadium.

Solid for a large part of the match, the Atlas Lions withstood the French assaults before giving way in the second half. They leave the competition, however, following a remarkable run.

The start of the match was highly contested, with a French team quickly displaying offensive intentions. The French created their first chance with a header, but Bounou intervened with authority to protect his goal.

Defensively well-organized, the Atlas Lions played in a compact block, closing down spaces and forcing the French attackers to drop deep to find solutions.

The French pressure intensified, and in the 28th minute, they earned a penalty following a rapid counter-attack. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to face Bounou, but the Moroccan goalkeeper brilliantly won the duel and kept his team in the match.

Morocco then tried to respond, particularly from the right flank with link-up play between Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz, and Azzedine Ounahi, but without any threat whatsoever to the French defense.

A few minutes later, Désiré Doué found himself one-on-one with Bounou, who made another decisive save.

Before the break, the Atlas Lions managed to better control the ball through a short passing game in order to break the rhythm imposed by the French.

Returning from the locker room, the Moroccans showed more attacking ambition, playing higher up the pitch and looking more incisive thanks to the initiatives of Ounahi and Diaz.

But France gradually regained control of the match. In the 60th minute, Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring before Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead six minutes later (66th), giving France a decisive advantage.

Despite this elimination, Morocco leaves the 2026 World Cup with its head held high.

The Atlas Lions, authors of a heroic campaign, fall just short of the semi-finals after once again demonstrating their worth on the world stage.

In the semi-finals, France will face the winner of the match between Belgium and Spain.

The Moroccan national team held its final training session in Boston on Wednesday evening in preparation for its decisive 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match against France.

The session was primarily spent on final tactical adjustments.

The Moroccan squad displayed an excellent attitude during the session, as well as optimal physical and tactical preparation, demonstrating their firm determination to secure victory and continue their run to the semifinals for the second consecutive tournament.

The match is scheduled for Thursday at Boston Stadium. The winner of this match will face, in the semifinals, the winner of the other quarterfinal between Spain and Belgium.

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.