World Cup 2026: Morocco's coach Ouahbi aims for an upset against France in the quarter-finals.

[caption id="attachment_1321375" align="alignnone" width="612"] FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JULY 08: Mohamed Ouahbi, the Head Coach of Morocco, examines his phone while addressing the media during a Morocco Press Conference at Boston Stadium on July 08, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)[/caption] Morocco's coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, has emphasized that his team will not indulge in early accolades ahead of their World Cup quarter-final clash against France, stating that any reflection should occur after the tournament concludes. Thursday's match marks a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France halted Morocco's remarkable journey in Qatar. However, this time, the North Africans are no longer seen as underdogs; they are a confident squad with aspirations for the title. Ouahbi clarified that his players are not content with merely advancing to the quarter-finals. "We will assess our performance at the end of the tournament," Ouahbi mentioned during the press briefing. "I won't comment further now because we have more to achieve. We will ignore those who say 'what you have accomplished so far is impressive.'" "France may be the favorites, but we will do everything within our power to win tomorrow and advance to the semi-finals," he continued. "I dislike the sentiment of 'we’ve done well to reach this point, and everything else is a bonus.' No, the true bonus is winning the World Cup. This is our mindset that has brought us this far, and we aim to go even further." France, the reigning world champions from 2018 and runners-up in 2022, narrowly overcame Paraguay in the Round of 32 with a gritty 1-0 win thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty. Mbappe has netted seven goals in the tournament, tied with Argentina's Lionel Messi for the top spot in the scoring rankings. Alongside Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola, the France captain contributes to one of the most formidable attacking line-ups ever witnessed at the World Cup. Morocco comfortably advanced through their group stage before eliminating the Netherlands and co-hosts Canada, solidifying their position as serious contenders for the title. "It’s not merely about our strengths," Ouahbi stated. "Both the Moroccan team and France are evolving. The crucial factor is to approach the match without regrets." "There are areas to enhance for tomorrow. We must perform at 2,000% and not dwell on the idea that what we have accomplished thus far is satisfactory." Morocco made history as the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals in 2022, and they now seek to replicate that achievement against the 2018 champions. A win would pave the way for a semi-final encounter with either Argentina or Switzerland.