Morocco U17 head coach Nabil Baha says his team showed no fire, no bravery and no presence after a crushing 6–0 loss to Portugal in their second Group B match at the U17 World Cup in Doha.

Speaking to journalists moments after the final whistle at Pitch 8 in the Aspire Zone, Baha did not soften his assessment.

He said the team entered the game with awareness of what it required, yet delivered a performance that failed every test of intensity, conviction and personality.

“The players knew this match demanded a reaction,” Baha said, referencing Morocco’s opening defeat to Japan.

“They understood we needed to show another face entirely. But we didn’t.”

The head coach openly dissected the collapse, pointing to the very first phase of the contest as proof of Morocco’s missing edge.

He said his players lost every physical battle, retreated into hesitation and disconnected from the assertive identity the team normally carries.

“From minute one, we didn’t win a single duel,” he said. “This group usually plays with character.

They ask for the ball. They take responsibility. They try to construct play and express themselves. Today, they did none of it.”

Baha stressed that the margin of defeat shocked him less than the absence of fight within it.

He described a team that played without imprint, without impact and without influence.

“Too many players didn’t leave any mark on the match,” he said. “Not technically. Not physically.

Not mentally. When a team performs like that, you can’t attach the blame to individuals only.

I carry part of it. I choose the structure, the message, the preparation. I share responsibility.”

His remarks painted a picture not of tactical failure, but psychological disengagement.

Baha repeated that Morocco lost the match before tactics, before structure and before any opponent strategy.

He said the defeat began in body language, intention and mental sharpness.

Portugal, though dominant, did not surprise him in style or approach. But their commitment and aggression exposed Morocco’s inability to match the basics of modern tournament football.

Baha acknowledged that talent exists within the squad but said talent without backbone has no meaning on a World Cup stage.

“It’s not about ability alone,” he said. “This level demands hunger, resilience, aggression in the moment, and consistent belief.

Without that, games run away from you faster than you can control them.”

Now, attention turns to Sunday’s match against New Caledonia at Pitch 1. Baha said the team has no time to negotiate disappointment and no time to hide inside defeat.

He said the only acceptable response is a complete psychological reset and an emotional reaction rooted in pride.

“We don’t need long speeches,” he said. “We need clarity. We need honesty. We need to remind the players what this badge expects, and what this tournament demands. The recovery starts in the mind before it starts on the grass.”

He also confirmed that his staff will speak directly to the players before training resumes, with no distance between message and moment.

“We must explain the size of the next match,” he added. “Not just tactically, but emotionally.

We need to rediscover intensity. We need to recover the spirit of battle. We need to compete. Right now, that is the urgent priority.”

The final phase of his media conference centered on identity.

Baha said Morocco’s youth teams cannot reach the next level without learning to impose themselves in moments when adversity peaks.

“A national team at a World Cup cannot choose when to fight,” he said. “The fight is a permanent requirement.

The players must embrace that reality, or tournaments punish you harshly. We lived that punishment today.”

Morocco still holds a route forward, mathematically and structurally, but Baha made it clear that qualification scenarios mean nothing unless the internal character of the team changes in the next 72 hours.

“We still have a match ahead of us,” he said. “We still have a chance to stand up. Football always grants one opportunity to repair yourself.

But we have to earn it. No one gifts you redemption on this stage.”

Morocco’s final Group B tie against New Caledonia now carries the weight of renewal, response and national pride.

Baha insists that only one version of his team can walk onto the pitch next: louder, braver and unshaken.