Mohamed Wahbi, head coach of the Moroccan national football team, called on his players to hold their heads high, but not to be content with pride and to engage in some self-criticism. The journey of the 'Atlas Lions' in the 2026 World Cup ended after a 0-2 loss to France on Thursday evening in the quarter-finals. Wahbi said in statements after the match, which took place in Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA, that his team left a good impression, adding: 'I told the players to keep their heads high because we gave our all and did our best, but of course we need to assess the situation, because progress is essential.' The coach added: 'We should not be content with saying we are happy and proud of our performance. We must move forward, and to do that, we need to be objective and engage in some self-criticism to evaluate the situation.' Wahbi revealed his disappointment and continued: 'The first half was very difficult, and the French were excellent in handling the ball, controlling it for long periods, and causing many problems on the wings thanks to their players, as well as in the center. When we had the ball, our transitions were not good, so we had to run a bit more. We have to admit that they are a great team with excellent players, and they had better chances to score, while we lacked the ideas and vitality to do better when we had possession. We have to accept this defeat.' The coach said that it is difficult to speak shortly after the match, adding: 'But it is also difficult to talk about regret after reaching the quarter-finals.' He concluded: 'We know we can be on par with them, but we need to work harder. We feel we are capable of that. Of course, France was stronger today, but we are able to compete and improve, and maybe we will eliminate them in four years.'