World Cup
•USA Vs Australia – 10pm
•Scotland Vs Morocco – 1am
•Brazil Vs Haiti – 3am
•Turkey Vs Paraguay – 6am
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi says his side must beat Scotland in their second Group C match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup tomorrow in Boston if they are to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
Morocco go into the match with one point after a 1-1 draw against Brazil, while Scotland top the group with three points.
“We have one point and they have three. They are ahead of us and we have to do our best. It will be a hard match,” Ouahbi told reporters at his pre-match press conference.
The Moroccan coach said the draw against Brazil boosted confidence within the squad but stressed that his team must improve.
“We do not want to keep the same performance we had against Brazil. We want to improve. Every match is difficult in its own way. Internationally, there are no small teams, and our match against Brazil is not an end in itself,” he said.
Ouahbi expects a different challenge against Scotland, describing the European side as a more physical opponent.
“The Brazil match was tactical, tomorrow’s clash will be physical. The match against Scotland will be different because they are quick with the ball and have strong shoots. We have prepared the players to be ready,” he said.
The coach also dismissed concerns about Morocco’s defence following Vinícius Júnior’s equaliser in the opening match.
“Tomorrow’s match will be different. We have a very good defence and we are very confident. Everyone is doing his best in this regard, so I do not think we have problems in defence,” he said.
Ouahbi added that Morocco will stick to its playing philosophy against Scotland.
“We will keep our identity and our way of playing. We want to dominate the rhythm of the game and control the intensity.”
Asked about Morocco’s 3-0 victory over Scotland at the 1998 World Cup, Ouahbi said the result has little relevance to the current squad.
“I remember that match. We played very well, but we were eliminated in the end. I have not spoken about it with the players because we are living in a different time,” he said.
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