Morocco's head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said that the ongoing talk about France's superiority or being satisfied with what the 'Atlas Lions' have achieved at the 2026 World Cup will not lead his team into 'falling into the trap' when the two sides meet in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Ouahbi added in the pre-match press conference hours before kickoff: 'What is being said about France's superiority or being content with what we have achieved, I will not allow it to affect our focus. We will not fall into this trap.'

The Morocco head coach raised the banner of challenge ahead of the clash with France, at the start of the quarterfinal round of the 2026 World Cup currently being held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Ouahbi said: 'We want to beat France and our goal is to reach the semifinals,' emphasizing that he respects the French team which includes distinguished elements and players with vast experience.

He added: 'But that will not change our ambition or our style of play. My team is ready physically and mentally. We have reached this stage thanks to teamwork, discipline, and commitment to the required tasks.'

He added: 'I trust our players' ability to deliver a performance worthy of Moroccan football, writing a new page in our history.'

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The 'Atlas Lions' coach warned: 'I do not like what is being said that we have succeeded in the World Cup, because the evaluation is supposed to be after the end of the tournament, and we are still in the competition.'

Regarding the difficulty of Morocco's path in the knockout stages, he said: 'The draw is one of the things that cannot be controlled. Certainly, if we had finished top of the group, our situation would have been different, but we will not complain; we will focus on what we have and try to give the best possible performance.'

He continued: 'We play every match with a winning mentality, and there is no room for excuses or surrounding circumstances. We will continue our journey in the tournament with confidence and ambition.'

Saibari's readiness

At the end of his remarks, Ouahbi hinted at Ismael Saibari's unavailability for the France match, saying: 'We will rely on players who are 100 percent ready. Saibari may miss the match. I hope he returns to participate in the upcoming matches.'

Saibari, who recently moved from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven to German giants Bayern Munich, is considered Morocco's most prominent attacking weapon at the 2026 World Cup, having scored three goals in the tournament in addition to a decisive penalty against the Netherlands in the round of 32.

It is worth noting that the winner of the France vs. Morocco match will advance to the semifinals to face either European champions Spain or Belgium.