Coach Ouahbi Confident in Morocco's Future after 1-1 Draw with Brazil

Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi is confident about the future of Moroccan football, even after his team secured a 1-1 draw against powerhouse Brazil in their opening World Cup match. Ouahbi stated that the team is hungry to achieve more than just reaching the semi-finals, a milestone they accomplished four years prior when they became the first African team to do so.

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I don’t know if 20% of the crowd were Moroccans, but we could hear them very loudly. If it was only 20%, they fooled me into thinking there were many more of them there.

Despite being outnumbered in the stands at the sold-out stadium, Moroccan fans provided vocal support. Ouahbi acknowledged their presence, humorously noting how their cheers made a smaller crowd feel much larger. He expressed hope that the fans enjoyed the match and that the team's performance would inspire continued support.

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For the future of Moroccan football, we are confident. We drew; we’re happy. I’m not sad. We would have wanted to win, obviously, but I’m not sad.

Morocco took the lead in the first half through Ismael Saibari, but Brazil's Vinicius Jr. equalized in the 32nd minute. Ouahbi credited second-half substitutions with bringing "freshness" to the team amidst an intense contest. He praised his players for their courage in playing and demanding the ball even under pressure, calling it a "great quality."

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What I’m really proud of is that we’re bold enough to play and ask for the ball under pressure. This is a great quality that we have.

The draw places both Morocco and Brazil at one point in Group C. The group's other match features Haiti playing Scotland. Ouahbi reiterated his ambition for the team, stating, "I want to go beyond the semi-finals, but it was a good match. One is good enough, and we'll improve."

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I want to go beyond the semi-finals but it was a good match. One is good enough and we'll improve.