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Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi believes his side’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands has earned the Atlas Lions greater respect on the global stage.
Morocco defeated the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties after the Round of 32 clash ended 1-1 in regulation and extra time, booking a place in the Round of 16 against tournament co-hosts Canada.
Ouahbi said his players were inspired by the millions of Moroccans supporting them from home, adding that the backing of their fans gave the team the belief to overcome the Dutch.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged as Morocco’s hero in the shootout after denying Crysencio Summerville from the spot, before Ismael Saibari calmly converted the decisive penalty to send the Atlas Lions through to the next round.
“Morocco has gained everybody’s respect now,” Ouahbi told reporters. “It’s not because of what we’ve said. We’ve now shown it.”
Ouahbi, who took charge of the senior team after previous success leading Morocco’s under-20 side, explained that his squad’s motivation extends well beyond the football pitch.
“This team, and all the Moroccan youth teams, are fighting for much, much more than just football or simply winning a match,” he said. “They know that behind them there are millions and millions of people. We played when it was two in the morning in Morocco and we’re certain that most people stayed awake.
That gives you the energy not to give up, to keep going and to believe in yourself.”
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Despite the match going all the way to penalties, Ouahbi insisted his team had been the dominant force throughout normal time.
“We completely dominated a Netherlands team,” he said. “We had 70% possession, more shots and more expected goals. We controlled the match,” he added. “We wanted to stay calm, play our game and believe that if it went to penalties we had an exceptional goalkeeper. We didn’t turn the match into a chaotic battle. We controlled it.”
The Dutch side’s cautious, defensive setup wasn’t what Ouahbi anticipated going into the game — but he chose to interpret it as a compliment.
“I really didn’t expect this kind of low block because the Netherlands like to have the ball and are very strong when they do,” he said. “I saw this type of play as a form of respect.”
According to the 49-year-old coach, Morocco’s run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar marked a turning point for the national team’s confidence.
“For the past few years, Moroccan players believe in themselves and the supporters believe in us as well,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ouahbi acknowledged that Canada will pose a significant challenge in the next round but said his team will go into the match with confidence.
“Nobody can stop us if we play the football we know how to play,” he said. “But nobody is unbeatable. If we get things wrong, we’ll go home.”
