Morocco Coach: We Must Believe We Can Win the Title

Morocco's head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has set ambitious targets for his team at the World Cup. The "Atlas Lions" secured their spot in the Round of 16 after a 4-2 victory over Haiti in their final group stage match. However, the coach expects much more from his players in the tournament.

“Morocco has entered a completely new dimension, and we are part of a new momentum where we truly need to believe we can win the title. How do we achieve this goal? Well, as I said before, we must be 100 percent committed. Today, we have the best ingredients needed to become the best nation, and we believe we can do it; the players believe in it, and the same goes for the staff,” Ouahbi stated.

He expressed disappointment that they missed out on securing the top spot in their group.

“We were aiming for first place in the group, but Haiti had nothing to lose and played a good transitional game, so it wasn't an easy match for us. It was a game where we showed very good statistics and had many chances, and I am very happy with all the players. We controlled things throughout. But it was no surprise that Haiti would play with passion. It was clear they would give their all and played more freely because they were already eliminated,” the specialist added.

As group runners-up, Morocco will play on Monday in Monterrey against the winner of Group F, which will be one of Japan, the Netherlands, or Sweden.

“I have no preferences, and I can't do anything about it anyway. These are three teams with three different styles, and we will just have to be ready. This is a World Cup, and we came here for a reason, with a lot of ambition, and ultimately, you have to play against whoever you're drawn against,” the coach concluded.