Morocco’s future can be “stunning” if they’ll construct on the efficiency they produced at this World Cup, coach Mohamed Ouabi declared after their quarter-final defeat.
The Atlas Lions misplaced 2-0 to France at Boston Stadium on Thursday, leaving Les Bleus to face both Spain or Belgium within the semifinals.
Morocco, who drew with Brazil within the group stage and eradicated the Netherlands and Canada within the knockout phases, had been advised by some to be bother for the match favorites.
Nonetheless, they solely took 5 pictures, one in every of which went on the right track, and the full anticipated objective worth of these possibilities was 0.14. In distinction, France amassed 22 pictures (equal to three.04 xG).
Within the first half, France had 12 extra pictures than Morocco (13 to 1), the second-largest distinction within the first half of a World Cup finals match on document (since 1966), after the 1994 semi-final between Brazil (17 pictures) and Sweden (1 shot).
Morocco additionally misplaced to Walid Reglagui’s France in 2022, once they reached the semi-finals.
And Ouabi was happy with the way in which his group fought, saying it might need been unlucky that Adrien Rabiot was not penalized for handball within the build-up to Kylian Mbappe’s opener.
“I’ve to confess that we performed towards an excellent group. We struggled lots within the first half, however Benou saved the penalty,” Ouabi informed beIN Sports activities.
“Within the second half, we performed higher defensively, and most significantly, we had been calmer with the ball, so we had been significantly better.Within the first half, the gamers gave the impression to be catching their breath.
“This objective got here from an act the place some referee noticed a handball and stopped it. There was a handball, however I do not know if it ought to have been known as. Then there was a private act by Mbappé and he scored.”
Within the first 5 World Cups, Morocco skilled 4 group stage exits (1970, 1994, 1998, 2018) and one Spherical of 16 exit (1986). After that, in 2022 they misplaced to France within the semi-finals and completed in 4th place, however this time they superior to the final eight.
And Ouabi, who led Morocco’s under-20s to World Cup glory in 2025, believes the group’s future is vivid.
“It was robust on the finish, however I feel we have now to proceed to imagine. We additionally must proceed to construct on this basis in order that when we have now accidents or we lose contemporary gamers, we have now to have an even bigger depth,” he added.
“We are going to proceed and we won’t cease right here. We’re very upset. We needed extra however we have now to just accept.
“If we preserve going like this, the longer term goes to be nice, however that does not imply we did not wish to win as we speak.
“We did our greatest to win and performed towards group. In fact we’re assured, and we do not wish to really feel defeated an excessive amount of.”
