World Cup 2026: Morocco ‘no longer a surprise’ after reaching quarterfinals – Mohamed Ouahbi

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has insisted his side are “no longer a surprise” after powering into the World Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Canada in Houston on Saturday.

Despite a difficult first half in which the co-hosts impressed with their intensity, Morocco showed their cutting edge after the break, with Azzedine Ounahi striking twice in the 50th and 82nd minutes to seal a decisive win and set up a last-eight meeting with either France or Paraguay.

Ouahbi pointed to Morocco’s recent rise on the global stage, following their semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup and their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations triumph, as evidence of their growing status in international football.

“We’re no longer a surprise today and that’s a great source of pride,” he said. “This is only the beginning and I hope we’ll keep producing this kind of run for many years.”

Looking ahead, Ouahbi dismissed suggestions that a potential rematch with France would carry a revenge motive, after Morocco’s defeat in the semi-finals at Qatar 2022.

“We want to go as far as possible and make our people proud,” he said.

Canada had the better of the opening period, but Morocco’s resilience proved decisive as they weathered the pressure before taking control of the match.

“What we’re trying to get across to our players is that we’re playing in a World Cup, which means you go through difficult moments,” Ouahbi explained. “What we needed to do was hold on and show resilience when things aren’t going so well.”

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch suggested his side had been the better team for spells, a claim Ouahbi strongly rejected.

“In terms of intensity they were good, that has to be said,” he said. “Were they better? Hard to say that when you lose 3–0, it’s a bold claim. They were well organised, but in the second half there was no contest.”

He added: “In any case, I’m not sure many teams are going to win by that scoreline in the round of 16.”