chargement...
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Wednesday that the Atlas Lions will remain faithful to their style of play when they take on France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, stressing his team's determination to continue its run in the tournament.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Boston, Ouahbi said his players are approaching the encounter with confidence and ambition while fully aware of the quality of their opponents.
«We respect France, but we are focused on ourselves and on the way we play», he said, emphasizing that Morocco has no intention of abandoning the principles that have defined its campaign so far.
Ouahbi also dismissed any notion of revenge, insisting that the Atlas Lions are solely focused on extending their World Cup journey.
«We simply want to keep moving forward. Whoever the opponent is, our objective remains the same: to go as far as possible in this competition», he said.
The Morocco coach said the team's performances at this World Cup reflect the country's growing stature on the international stage.
«When people talk about Morocco today, they talk about a genuine contender and a major football nation. That is a huge source of pride. We want to keep going, we don't want to stop», he said, reiterating his side's ambition to fight for the world title.
Ouahbi also stressed that success at a World Cup depends as much on emotional control as technical ability.
«There will always be difficult moments in a World Cup. The key is to stay solid when we are under pressure and continue believing in our qualities», he said.
On the squad, Ouahbi confirmed that Ismaël Saibari will miss Thursday's match through injury, while the rest of the squad is fit and available.
Morocco will face France on Thursday seeking a place in the semi-finals and hoping to extend what has already been a historic World Cup campaign.
