Atlanta, June 25: Morocco’s head coach, Mohammed Ouaahbi, expressed his delight after his team secured a spot in the Round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a 4-2 victory over Haiti. This win marks a significant achievement, as it is the first time the North African nation has scored four goals in a single World Cup match.
Following the qualification for the knockout stage, Ouaahbi stated, “We are operating on a different level. We have made significant progress in football over the past few years.”
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou believes the team is continuously improving and is now ready to compete against the world’s top nations.
Bounou shared with FIFA, “This is truly something special and, above all, exciting. I think as a team we are getting better, although it doesn’t always show in the results, as victories depend on many factors. Hopefully, luck will be on our side, and we can go far.”
The current Moroccan squad showcases the country’s rising talent, with fourteen players born in 2000 or later. Azzedine Ounahi and Bilal El Khannouss had a memorable journey to the semifinals in the Qatar World Cup.
Ouaahbi, who led Morocco to victory in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2025, has witnessed several young players emerging in the senior team, including Crystal Palace defender Chadi Riyad, who started all three group-stage matches in his first World Cup.
Riyad remarked, “We are doing some great work, and we are all moving in the same direction. I feel very happy and proud of the team.”
He added, “They did very well in 2022. It means we have some fantastic role models. They are players we draw inspiration from. We don’t want to fall behind that performance – we want to be like them. We are a young team, but we are very ambitious.”
Bounou concluded, “I think you can see the players playing with a lot of heart in the matches we’ve played. We did the same in 2022. The team is still the same. We need to maintain our excellent performance and hope that the results are in our favor.”
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