Morocco must accept defeat to 'better' France, says coach

Morocco's World Cup journey ended with a 2-0 quarter-final defeat to France, a result that left coach Mohamed Ouahbi disappointed but philosophical. "We have to accept defeat," Ouahbi told reporters, acknowledging that France was the superior team on the day.

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I told my players to keep their heads high because we gave our all, we gave our best, but, of course, we need to take stock of the situation, to progress, it's essential.

Despite the loss, Ouahbi emphasized the need for his players to "keep their heads high" and take pride in their efforts. However, he also stressed the importance of "self-criticism" and objective assessment to foster future progress. "We need to move forward, and in order to do so, we have to be objective and to do some self-criticism, to assess the situation," he stated.

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We cannot just say that we're happy and proud of our performance. We need to move forward, and in order to do so, we have to be objective and to do some self-criticism, to assess the situation.

Ouahbi admitted that Morocco struggled against France's strong possession-based game, particularly on the flanks. He noted a lack of fluidity in his team's transitions when they had the ball and a general absence of "ideas and freshness." The coach recognized France's quality, stating they "have excellent players and had better goal-scoring opportunities."

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We have to recognise that they're a great team. They have excellent players and had better goal-scoring opportunities. We lacked ideas and freshness, to do more when we had possession. We have to accept this defeat.

Looking ahead, Ouahbi expressed confidence in Morocco's ability to compete and improve, even suggesting a potential to challenge France in future tournaments. Morocco is set to co-host the next World Cup in 2030. While declining to predict France's chances of winning the current tournament, Ouahbi wished them well, hoping they would face Belgium in the semi-finals.

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It is clear that today, France was stronger, but we are able to compete and to progress even further, and maybe to eliminate them four years down the line.