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Rabat – Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi has criticized the refereeing in his team’s match against Canada, claiming the official was far too quick to hand out unnecessary yellow cards.
Despite his frustration with the first-half disciplinary actions, the Moroccan tactician managed to have a word with the official to help settle the match down
“I spoke with the referee, and in the second half, he was much calmer,” Ouahbi said.
The Moroccan tactician questioned the referee’s rigid disciplinary style, suggesting that a round-of-16 clash called for better man-management rather than a flurry of bookings.
“I don’t think a round-of-16 match deserves that many yellow cards, especially the one Hakimi received. His challenge only warranted a talking-to to calm things down,” he explained.
Despite his grievances, Ouahbi was careful to clarify that he wasn’t questioning the referee’s overall integrity or accusing him of game-changing blunders. Instead, his criticism remained strictly focused on the official’s anxiousness to go to his pocket early on.
“To be honest, I didn’t understand the way the referee managed the match. What I blame him for is how quickly he showed yellow cards; other than that, there were no refereeing mistakes.” The Moroccan tactician concluded.
The high-stakes knockout match took place on Saturday at Houston Stadium, Texas. Playing in the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup, Morocco secured a 3–0 victory over co-hosts Canada to advance to the quarterfinals.
With this victory, Morocco has officially booked their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Atlas Lions are now scheduled to face football powerhouse France in a highly anticipated heavyweight showdown at Boston Stadium next Thursday.
