Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi insists his side are not motivated by revenge ahead of Thursday’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final against France, despite the fixture reviving memories of their heartbreaking exit at the 2022 tournament.
The two nations meet again in the last eight in Boston, four years after France ended Morocco’s historic run in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, denying the Atlas Lions the chance to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup final.
However, Ouahbi dismissed suggestions that his team is approaching the contest with revenge on its mind.
“Whoever the opponent is, our goal remains the same: to reach the semi-finals. So, we will focus on ourselves,” Ouahbi said.
“There is no revenge. We only want to continue our journey.”
Morocco have once again emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages after producing another impressive World Cup campaign, reaching the quarter-finals with disciplined performances and resilient defending.
Standing in their way are a France side regarded as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, led by the tournament’s leading scorer Kylian Mbappé.
Ouahbi, however, insists Morocco’s focus is firmly on their own performance rather than past encounters, as the Atlas Lions bid to return to the World Cup semi-finals for a second consecutive tournament.
Victory would see Morocco continue another remarkable run on football’s biggest stage, while France will be aiming to end African hopes once again and book their place in the final four.
