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Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said Tuesday in Atlanta that his primary objective remains securing a victory against Haiti in the team's final Group C match of the 2026 World Cup, while also keeping top spot in the group firmly in sight.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's clash at Atlanta Stadium, Ouahbi said his staff is focused on fielding «the best team possible», while noting that he has yet to make a final decision on his starting lineup.
«We are virtually qualified, but not mathematically yet», he said. «I haven't decided which team will start against Haiti. It may be the same lineup that played the first two matches, or we may make a few changes».
The Moroccan coach stressed that his side must approach the game with complete seriousness despite Haiti already being eliminated from the tournament.
«Haiti, even though they are out, will put in a strong performance. Our first objective is to win the match. After that, we can think about how many goals we might score. We need to field the strongest possible team, respect our opponent and give everything, just as we did in our previous two matches», he said.
Reflecting on Morocco's attacking play, Ouahbi expressed satisfaction with the team's progress and said he expects its offensive potential to continue growing as the tournament advances.
«Offensively, we're on the right track. We will continue to improve and score more goals. We have other forwards with different profiles who can bring a lot to the national team», he noted.
The coach added that his selection decisions are driven by the specific demands of each match.
«Choosing certain players over others depends first and foremost on the context of the game. What pleases me is that every player is ready to play and shows it every day in training», he said.
According to Ouahbi, the team's mentality has been one of the most encouraging aspects of Morocco's campaign so far.
«Every player wants to improve and go as far as possible in this competition. I always look for the positives, and the positive today is that we are making progress», he said.
Asked about the importance of finishing first in the group, Ouahbi left little room for doubt.
«I want to beat Haiti and finish top of the group. It may allow us to avoid certain travel arrangements. But if we have to go to Monterrey, we'll go to Monterrey and deal with it», he said.
