FIFA World Cup 2026 | Morocco coach Ouahbi admits his team lacked ideas in the loss to France
Morocco's football coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged his team's tactical shortcomings following a 0-2 loss to France in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals. He praised France's superior quality and tactical discipline throughout the match.
Why it matters
The match highlights the competitive landscape of the 2026 World Cup and the tactical evolution of top-tier international football teams.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi admitted that his side was made to suffer by France’s quality in a 0-2 World Cup quarterfinal defeat on Thursday, saying that the first half in particular exposed how difficult it can be to cope with a team of such attacking talent.
Morocco’s hopes of returning to the semifinal stage, where its historic 2022 run had ended, were extinguished by goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Ouahbi acknowledged that France was the better side long before the breakthrough arrived.
“We wanted to go on, but the first half was very complicated,” the chief coach said. “The French side was very good on the ball, and it caused us a lot of problems on the sides (flanks). And when we had possession, we were not good in transition.”
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