Mohamed Ouhbi, the head coach of Morocco's national team, acknowledged the superiority of the French team in terms of player quality and experience, following the 'Atlas Lions' defeat 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, while also expressing his pride in what his players achieved throughout the tournament.

Ouhbi explained during the post-match press conference that the difference in player quality was clear, pointing out that most of the French team's stars play for the biggest European clubs and continuously compete at high levels.

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He said: 'With all due respect, Morocco's players cannot be compared to France's. When you have players like Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano, and Bradley Barcola, who regularly play for top clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in the Champions League, it's natural for Didier Deschamps to adopt a style that suits this quality.'

The Morocco coach affirmed that his team aimed to reach the semi-finals for the second consecutive time, but emphasized that what was achieved in the tournament remains a source of pride, adding: 'Our ambition is greater, and our players shine in the national team shirt thanks to the Moroccan spirit and great fan support, and we look forward to them continuing to develop with their clubs.'

Ouhbi rejected the notion that his team played with fear or a different style, explaining that Morocco adopted the same approach used against the Netherlands and Brazil, but France's strength imposed its rhythm during many periods of the match.

He added: 'We lacked our identity at times during the match and failed to impose our style, but I never felt that the players lacked the desire or determination to win.'

The head coach concluded his remarks by emphasizing that his focus is not on finding an answer to how to beat France, but on developing the Moroccan team for the future, saying: 'I don't have the answer to how to beat France, and I don't think anyone has found an easy way, but what concerns me is how we become stronger when we face them again in four years.'