Morocco want more than respect
Morocco’s World Cup quarter-final against France is not just another step towards the semi-finals. It is also a chance to revisit one of the most painful nights in the country’s football history.
France beat Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, according to FIFA’s official match centre, ending the Atlas Lions’ historic run in Qatar.
Four years later, Morocco are back on the biggest stage, and head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has made it clear that admiration alone will not be enough this time.
“In 2022, we were too respectful of everything,” Ouahbi said, quoted by TV 2’s World Cup live blog. “We have to play the match without fear, do better and be at 2000 percent. We must not be satisfied that what we have delivered so far is good enough. We must be ruthless.”
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Ouahbi rejects talk of a job already done
Morocco’s run to the quarter-finals has already drawn praise, but Ouahbi is not interested in early conclusions.
The Morocco coach pushed back against the idea that his side should already be satisfied with their tournament, insisting that any evaluation must wait until the campaign is over.
“When people say that we have had a successful tournament, I do not like it,” he said. “Evaluations must be made at the end. We do everything we can to win, and we will not listen to those who say that we have already done well enough, and that France are favourites.”
It is a message aimed as much at his own players as the outside world. Morocco may be underdogs, but Ouahbi wants his team to approach the game as contenders, not grateful participants.
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Saibari blow weakens Morocco’s attack
Morocco will, however, have to face France without one of their most important attacking players.
Ismael Saibari, the team’s top scorer at this World Cup, has been ruled out of the quarter-final after suffering a hamstring strain in the round of 16.
“Everyone is 100 percent ready except Saibari,” Ouahbi said. “This match comes too early for him, but I hope he is not out for the rest of the tournament.”
His absence is a major setback for Morocco, who will need efficiency and composure against a French side that has looked increasingly difficult to contain.
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Brahim Díaz also acknowledged the special nature of the tie, with several familiar faces on the opposite side. The Real Madrid player said he has “good club teammates and friends on the other team,” but added that they are now opponents in what he described as a fantastic match.
France remain the clear favourites
France arrive as one of the strongest teams left in the tournament, and the scale of Morocco’s task has not been lost on observers.
TV 2 football expert Morten Bruun described the quarter-final as the most uneven match-up of the round.
“Basically, it is the most unequal quarter-final,” Bruun said. “France have shown overwhelming strength and seem like a team in total balance. Morocco have been strong, but I also think the match against Canada showed that they are getting tired. In my eyes, it would be the biggest surprise of the World Cup if Morocco beat France.”
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That verdict leaves little doubt about the outside expectation. France are favourites, Morocco are weakened, and the memory of 2022 still hangs over the fixture.
But for Ouahbi and his players, that is exactly the point. This is the kind of match Morocco have been building towards, and the only way forward is to meet it without fear.
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