Underdogs no more, Morocco ready to battle top nations, says Ouahbi

EAST RUTHERFORD: Morocco are eager to put their underdog days behind them, coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Friday as they geared up for a heavyweight contest against Brazil in their World Cup opener at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Morocco lit up the global stage in Qatar four years ago, becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals after knocking out Spain and Portugal.

However, this time, Ouahbi insists Morocco are no underdogs, with the pressure to perform even greater as the nation prepares to co-host the 2030 tournament.

“(Brazil are) not afraid – we’re not afraid either,” he told reporters via an interpreter. “We have entered a new dimension, we’re respected much more now… we need to take ownership of this and be in it for the duration.

“For now, when Morocco enters a competition, it needs to go for the (trophy).”

Ouahbi, who only took the helm three months ago, has had to navigate some choppy waters ahead of the tournament, with Morocco losing starters Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli to injury. He said the rest of the squad were fit for the Group C clash that will open the action at New York New Jersey.

“We’re not going to change our principles too much,” said Ouahbi, who previously coached Morocco’s U20 and U23 teams and told reporters he had read all of the Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti’s books to get inside the mind of the coach.

“We don’t need to fear Brazil now. We’ve got our principles, our values, we know who we are playing for.”

The clash has been underlined by soccer fans as among the most compelling across the group stage of the supersized 48-team tournament, even as Brazil emerged bruised from a turbulent World Cup cycle.

“Some people say it’s not the Brazil of before,” said Ouahbi. “It’s a prestigious match – it’s an honourable thing to start our journey with this match.”

The team is led by Paris St-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, who recovered from a thigh injury sustained in April, and Morocco have shown they know how to crack the code against the five-time World Cup winners after a stunning win in their most recent meeting in a 2023 friendly.

“We know the quality of both teams. It’s a very well-balanced game,” he told reporters. “There is no favourite team.”