Rabat – Morocco’s national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi stated that the quiet atmosphere in the locker room following their 1-1 draw against powerhouse Brazil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup proves the Atlas Lions have reached a whole new level of ambition.
Ouahbi said that upon entering the dressing room, he witnessed no celebrations or songs, signaling a profound shift in the team’s mentality and their growing expectation to win against the world’s best.
Speaking in the post-match interview against Brazil on Saturday, the Moroccan head coach stated: “To be honest, I can’t quite explain my feelings right now; I can’t find an exact explanation for what I’m feeling. I am proud of what the players delivered, proud of how they reacted to the course of the match, and proud of what they showed on the pitch. I am very happy with their performance.”
However, the coach also showed his competitive side, noting that the team shouldn’t be fully satisfied with just a draw.
“At the same time, I tell myself that we were capable of winning. However, we have to accept this result, because that’s just football. We must accept it, settle for the draw, and keep moving forward,” Ouahbi added.
“I can’t really call it a disappointment, and that is exactly what I told the players too. But I am satisfied with something else as well: when I walked into the dressing room, I didn’t see any euphoria. I didn’t hear any chants or songs, and I didn’t see players dancing or celebrating just because we drew with Brazil.”
“Morocco has reached another level, and we must take responsibility for that. We have to go into every match with the sole purpose of winning, no matter who the opponent is. Therefore, we need to take the positives, correct a few things, and become even better in the next match,” the Moroccan coach concluded.
Morocco kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with a thrilling 1-1 draw against Brazil, taking an early lead through Ismael Saibari’s brilliant 21st-minute strike before Vinícius Júnior hit back with a quick equalizer.
The clash between world seventh-ranked Morocco and sixth-ranked Brazil marks the only opening-round match featuring two top-10 teams in this expanded 48-nation World Cup.
Next up for Morocco is a June 19 clash against Scotland in Boston, followed by their final Group C fixture against Haiti in Atlanta on June 24, with a spot in the round of 16 in their sights.
