Casablanca – Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said he leaves the October international camp satisfied with his team’s progress despite Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Mali in Tangier.
The Atlas Lions closed the window unbeaten after victories over Gabon and Lesotho before Mali ended their winning run at the Grand Stade de Tanger.
Ouahbi said the coaching staff deliberately wanted a demanding opponent for the final match rather than an easy conclusion to the camp.
“We didn’t want to end the camp with an easy match. We’re very happy to have faced a strong team that caused us problems and showed a lot of quality,” he said after the game.
Morocco took the lead through Abdessamad Ezzalzouli’s 35th-minute penalty, but Gaoussou Diarra equalized for Mali in the 77th minute.
Ouahbi acknowledged that Morocco had difficulty finding routes through Mali’s defensive structure during parts of the game.
“We found it difficult to play through the middle at times, but we improved in the second half and took greater control of the game,” he said.
The Morocco coach also felt his side showed encouraging signs in possession, particularly when dealing with Mali’s pressure.
“We showed good qualities, and our opponents found it very difficult to press us and win the ball back,” Ouahbi said.
While satisfied with the overall direction of the team, he stressed that the coaching staff still identified aspects that require further improvement.
“We saw a lot of positive things during this camp, but there are still areas we need to work on and improve,” he said.
Morocco began the international window with consecutive 2-0 victories over Gabon and Lesotho in AFCON 2027 qualifying before facing Mali in Sunday’s friendly.
For Ouahbi, the three-match stretch ultimately served its purpose.
“We leave this camp satisfied. It was very useful for us, and we will continue to develop and grow,” he concluded.
