Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged that France's dominant first-half performance, marked by superior possession and effective attacking play, led to the Atlas Lions' 2-0 defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final at Boston Stadium on July 9, 2026. The result ended Morocco's remarkable campaign, which had seen them reach the last eight for the second consecutive World Cup.
Ouahbi Highlights France's Possession and Control
Speaking after the match, Ouahbi said, "We are disappointed but the first half was very difficult, the French were very good with the ball. They had a lot of possession, they caused a lot of problems on the flanks with their players, and also in the centre," as quoted by Reuters. He noted that Morocco struggled in transition when they won the ball, allowing France to remain comfortable and dictate the tempo.
"When we had the ball, our transitions were not so great, so we needed to run a bit more, and they ended up being in a comfort zone," Ouahbi added. France's two first-half goals effectively sealed the match, as Morocco could not mount a comeback.
Praise for France's Quality and Morocco's Shortcomings
Ouahbi praised France's quality, admitting they created better chances and deserved the victory. "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," he stated. He urged his team to accept the defeat with perspective, noting that reaching the quarter-finals left little room for regret.
"We have to accept this defeat. It is hard to talk so soon after the match, but it's also difficult to talk about regrets when we got to the quarter-final," Ouahbi said. Morocco had been semi-finalists four years ago in Qatar, where France also defeated them.
Looking Ahead: Progress and Future Ambitions
Ouahbi stressed that Morocco has shown they can compete with the world's best but must continue to improve. "With regards to the match plan, we know that we can be on par, but we need to work even harder. We feel that we are able to do so. 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," he said, expressing confidence in the team's potential.
The coach urged his players to keep their heads high, having given their all, but emphasized the need for honest self-assessment. "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. 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 concluded.
France Advances to Semi-Finals
The victory sets up France's semi-final clash against either Spain or Belgium, keeping their title defense alive. Morocco's exit marks the end of another historic World Cup campaign, but Ouahbi's remarks underscore the team's ambition to build on their achievements and compete at the highest level in future tournaments.
