Coach Ouahbi says Atlas Lions of Morocco will stick to their identity despite Saibari’s absence
By Uzor Odigbo
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi insists his side will stick to their identity when they face favourites France in Thursday’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final, despite the absence of influential forward Ismael Saibari.
Saibari has been ruled out after suffering a hamstring injury early in Morocco’s 2-1 round-of-16 victory over Canada.
“He’s not ready, but I hope it’s not the end of the tournament for him,” Ouahbi told reporters on Wednesday.
The forward has been one of Morocco’s standout performers, scoring in all three group-stage matches before converting the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over the Netherlands in the previous round.
Ouahbi said Morocco would not deviate from their established approach against France.
“There will not be any surprises. I have nothing to hide,” he said. “Those who have analysed our games know we have a clear idea of how we want to play.
“The key will be to hurt them when we have possession, but it’s not only about attacking down the wings. We have to be patient with the ball and identify spaces, whether out wide or through the middle.
“We’ve proven that we can hurt any team, and that’s our objective. But I’m not going to reveal too many details.”
The quarter-final also offers Morocco a chance to avenge their semi-final defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, Ouahbi dismissed comparisons with that encounter.
“Every match is different. It has its own context and its own history, so this won’t be the same as in 2022,” he said.
“We have a different team now, and we’re facing a different French side. Both teams have improved, which is normal because both federations are working very well.”
Despite France being widely regarded as favourites, Ouahbi rejected the suggestion that reaching the last eight should be considered an achievement in itself.
“I always prefer to assess our campaign at the end of the tournament,” he said.
“We’re not going to listen to people who say, ‘You’ve already done well by getting this far.’ France may be favourites, but we will do everything possible to win.
“Being at this stage is not a bonus. The real bonus is winning the World Cup
