Morocco Coach Mohamed Ouahbi: 'Canada Has a Smart Plan'
July 6, 2026 · Global
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi of Morocco was proud after the victory over Canada which took them into the quarter-finals, and praised the opposing team's excellent play.
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi from Morocco felt proud after his team managed to beat Canada and reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. He expressed praise for the opponent's game which displayed excellent strategy. In a post-match interview, Ouahbi said, "We are all very happy with this result. We knew that this would be a very difficult match. In the World Cup, every country fights with all their soul. In the second half, we performed much better and stronger in the duel. Canada was very impressive, they played very well. Luckily, we were able to take advantage of the space they gave us in the second half."
Ouahbi also highlighted the smart game plan implemented by Canada, "They immediately put pressure on us quickly. In the break, we made some adjustments. We became more patient with the ball and were able to play out of their pressure. The players were very good at adapting, and that's what allowed us to reach the quarter-finals. Now our focus is on keeping everyone fit for the next game, whoever we face."
Neil El Aynaoui, one of the team's players, also spoke about the match, "It was amazing. We knew that Canada would give it their all and they gave us quite a bit of trouble in the first half. We didn't start the game well, but our biggest strength as a team is that we never give up, and we've shown that over the years," he said.
El Aynaoui added, "The coach remained calm at the break and we focused on what we could improve in the second half. We started better after the break and in the end we proved to be stronger." Now, they will wait to find out their opponents in the quarter-finals, whether Paraguay or France. "Now we can only wait to see who our opponents will be, but this World Cup has shown that no opponent is easy to beat."