World Cup 2026: Mohamed Ouahbi targets Group C summit as Morocco prepare for Haiti clash

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has insisted that his side remains fully focused on finishing top of Group C as the Atlas Cubs prepare to face Haiti in their final group-stage match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

The North Africans will take on Haiti at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 25, with qualification to the knockout stages already within reach.

However, Ouahbi has made it clear that Morocco are determined to secure maximum points and seal first place in the group rather than speculate about potential opponents in the next round.

Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, Ouahbi dismissed suggestions that his team were already looking beyond the group stage.

“My preference is to beat Haiti and finish ahead of Brazil in the group,” Ouahbi said.

“There is talk we might play next against the Netherlands, but it could also be Japan, but even then France or Argentina, but it is not anything we are taking into consideration.”

Morocco have impressed during the tournament so far and are widely expected to progress to the knockout phase. Despite their favourable position, Ouahbi stressed that his players will approach the Haiti fixture with the same intensity and commitment as previous matches.

“Probably we are already qualified, but we still want to beat Haiti, and so we plan to field our best possible team in the game,” he explained.

“We can use the same starting line-up, but there are still some things we are thinking about before deciding.”

The Moroccan tactician also warned against underestimating Haiti, noting that their opponents will be highly motivated to end their campaign on a positive note by collecting their first points of the tournament.

“Haiti are going to be 100 per cent motivated because it is a World Cup game, and they will have the objective of getting the first points of the tournament. We’ll have to be wary of this,” Ouahbi added.

The coach revealed that Morocco’s technical team had conducted extensive analysis on the Caribbean side well before the tournament began and believes patience will be key to overcoming them.

“We’ve been analysing them from long before the World Cup, and they’re a great team; we need to show patience.”

A victory for Morocco would guarantee top spot in Group C and potentially hand them a more favourable route in the knockout stages. However, Ouahbi’s comments underline his determination to ensure his side remains focused solely on the task at hand as they seek to maintain their impressive momentum at the tournament.