Morocco coach Ouahbi 'very satisfied' with World Cup run, eyes future success

Morocco's coach Mohamed Ouahbi is "very satisfied" with the Atlas Lions' journey to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, a historic achievement for the team. He praised the team's "content, performance, and the fact that we brought a new spirit to the team," stating they were dominant in most matches.

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We are proud and very satisfied with the content, the performance and the fact that we brought a new spirit to the team. (...) We were dominant in almost all the matches.

Despite the overall success, Ouahbi admitted that in the final 2-0 loss to France, his team lacked crucial elements. "We lacked maturity and personality" to take the initiative and generate more danger against the French. He also noted that the players "were not afraid" of France and did not intend to give up on victory, maintaining the same game plan used in previous matches.

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We lacked maturity and personality to take the initiative and generate more danger against the opponent.

Ouahbi took responsibility for the defeat but defended the 26 players who represented Morocco. He highlighted the team's ability to "show their true identity" and stressed the importance of supporting and advising players on their career decisions. The coach is focused on the future, stating, "Our ambition continues. We will not stop."

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Our ambition continues. We will not stop. We must recognize and congratulate France for their victory. What they did was very beautiful.

Looking ahead, Ouahbi emphasized the need for rigorous training and player selection both in Morocco and Europe. He aims to build on the success of the 2022 World Cup, ensuring that Morocco's performance in Qatar was not a one-off. "We have years ahead of us to show that what we achieved in Qatar (2022 World Cup) was not isolated," he concluded.

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We have years ahead of us to show that what we achieved in Qatar (2022 World Cup) was not isolated.