Morocco has no special plans for the World Cup quarter-final against France but knows it will have to match its coveted opponents in all departments, coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Wednesday.
However, Morocco will have to make do without striker Ismael Saibari on Thursday, who injured his hamstring early in the last sixteen victory over Canada.
“He is not ready yet, but I hope this is not the end of the tournament for him,” Ouahbi told a news conference.
Saibari scored goals in each of Morocco’s three group matches and scored the decisive penalty in the shootout win over the Netherlands in the last 32.
«In terms of preparing for the match, there will be no surprises. I have nothing to hide. I am not someone who likes surprises, and those of you who have analyzed our matches know that we have a clear idea of how we want to play.»
«Of course the key will be to hurt them when we have possession, but that’s not just down to the wings. We have to be patient with the ball and find out where we can go through on the sides or in the middle.»
«We have proven that we can hurt any team, and that is the goal. But I am not going to go into too much detail,» the Morocco coach added. France defeated Morocco four years ago in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.
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“Every match is different, has its own context, its own history, and it will not be the same as in 2022,” Ouahbi said.
«What is important is that we now have a team that is different. We are going to compete against a different French team than the one from four years ago. Both teams are even better and that is normal because we are two federations, two countries that work very well together.»
Ouahbi pushed back at reporters who suggested his party had achieved a lot by reaching the last eight.
“I always like to say that at the end of the tournament we will take stock of the situation,” he said. «We’re not going to listen to people who will say, ‘Oh, it’s great what you’ve done so far’. France may be favourites, but we would do everything we can to win. Being at this stage is not a bonus. The bonus is winning the World Cup.»
Published on July 9, 2026
