FIFA World Cup: Head coach Ouahbi hails Morocco's fearless approach after hard-fought draw against Brazil
New York, June 14
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi expressed confidence in the future of Moroccan football after his side held five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil to a 1-1 draw in their opening Group C match at MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
The North African side delivered an impressive performance against one of the tournament favourites, matching Brazil throughout an entertaining contest and earning a valuable point to begin their campaign.
Morocco took the lead in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari after creating several promising opportunities during a dominant opening spell. Brazil responded through Vinicius Jr, who equalised in the 32nd minute to ensure the teams went into the break level.
Both sides continued to attack relentlessly in the second half, producing a series of chances in an end-to-end encounter. However, outstanding goalkeeping from Morocco's Bono and Brazil's Alisson kept the score unchanged despite a combined 27 shots between the teams.
Ouahbi said he was pleased with his team's display and their willingness to play brave, possession-based football against elite opposition.
"For the future of Moroccan football, we are confident. We drew; we're happy. I'm not sad. We would have wanted to win, obviously, but I'm not sad," Ouahbi told reporters after the match, as per Reuters.
"What I'm really proud of is that we're bold enough to play and ask for the ball under pressure. This is a great quality that we have."
The coach had spoken before the tournament about Morocco moving beyond the underdog tag that followed their historic run to the World Cup semi-finals four years ago, when they became the first African nation to reach the last four.
Following the draw, Ouahbi reiterated his ambitions for the team.
"I want to go beyond the semi-finals, but it was a good match," he said. "One is good enough, and we'll improve."
The Moroccan coach also praised the support his team received despite being outnumbered in the stands.
"I don't know if 20% of the crowd were Moroccans, but we could hear them very loudly. If it was only 20%, they fooled me into thinking there were many more of them there," Ouahbi said, according to Reuters.
"I hope they had great fun watching a good match tonight, and I hope this will continue."
The result leaves Morocco and Brazil with one point each in Group C as the race for the knockout stages gets underway. Morocco will face Scotland in their next Group C clash, whereas Brazil will take on Haiti on Saturday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Morocco is showing the world that African teams are no longer pushovers. The way they held Brazil — five-time champions — to a draw is amazing. Hats off to Coach Ouahbi for building such a confident squad. Also, that 20% Moroccan crowd making more noise than 80% Brazilians is pure passion! 🔥
Impressive performance by Morocco. They didn't just park the bus — they actually went toe-to-toe with Brazil and created chances. Bono vs Alisson was a treat to watch. I think Morocco can go far again, maybe even beyond the semi-finals this time.
Morocco played with so much swagger against Brazil. That's exactly what we need more of in world football — teams from outside the traditional powers showing they belong. Coach Ouahbi's confidence is well-placed. Now Scotland and Haiti will have their hands full!
Honest opinion: Brazil were not at their best today. Morocco deserved a draw but let's not overhype — Vinicius Jr still scored a beauty and Brazil had more shots. Still, for Morocco to be bold and play possession against Brazil is admirable. One thing I'd criticize: they need to be more clinical in front of goal. Those 27 shots should have seen more goals.
This is what makes the World Cup special — underdogs standing tall. Morocco's journey from semi-finalists to now drawing with Brazil shows they're here to stay. As an Indian football fan, I wish our team could one day show this kind of belief against top sides. Btw, Bono is just unreal! 🧤🌟
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