Morocco has secured its qualification for the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup after its victory against Haiti (4-2) during the third and final day of Group C. This is an important success for the Atlas Lions, even though the national team finished second in its group behind Brazil, on goal difference.
After the match, Mohamed Ouahbi expressed overall satisfaction with the result, while acknowledging that his team had been challenged by a liberated Haitian side. “We won a World Cup match. Looking at the stats, I don’t think we had as many chances or such dominance in a World Cup match,” said the Moroccan coach at the press conference.
The national coach also emphasized Haiti’s merit, as they had nothing to lose in this final group match. “Haiti did not surprise us; we knew their value and their intention. They played freely, with dangerous transitions. We dominated, but we needed to better control the transitions. We are happy with all the players,” he explained.
Regarding the second place in the group, Mohamed Ouahbi did not hide that the initial objective was to finish first. “We aimed for first place, but Haiti had nothing to lose and played with passion. It’s not a surprise that they made things difficult for us,” he added.
However, the Moroccan coach wanted to send a strong message ahead of the knockout matches. “Morocco has entered a new dimension. We must believe that we can go all the way to the title. The players believe it, the staff does too. We have all the ingredients,” he declared. An ambitious speech, reflective of a group that continues to believe in its chances in this World Cup.
Mohamed Ouahbi also praised the mindset of his players and the impact of the substitutes, notably Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine, both of whom were decisive in the second half. A deep bench that could be crucial as Morocco prepares to enter the knockout phase of the competition.
