&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "FIFA World Cup 2026: Head coach Ouahbi hails Morocco’s fearless display after Brazil draw")
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi remained confident about the future of Moroccan football after his team secured a 1-1 draw against five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil in their opening Group C fixture at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. The North African side impressed against one of the tournament’s strongest contenders, matching Brazil’s intensity throughout the contest and earning a valuable point to kick off their campaign.
Morocco struck first in the 21st minute when Ismael Saibari found the net after a strong opening spell in which his side created several opportunities. Brazil responded 11 minutes later through Vinicius Jr, whose equaliser ensured the teams went into halftime level.
The second half remained highly competitive, with both sides creating numerous chances in an entertaining, end-to-end encounter. Despite a total of 27 attempts on goal, neither team could find a winner, thanks to excellent saves from goalkeepers Bono and Alisson.
Speaking after the match, Ouahbi praised his players for their performance and their commitment to playing brave, possession-based football against top-level opposition.
"For the future of Moroccan football, we are confident. We drew; we're happy. I'm not sad. We would have wanted to win, obviously, but I'm not sad," Ouahbi told reporters after the match.
"What I'm really proud of is that we're bold enough to play and ask for the ball under pressure. This is a great quality that we have."
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The coach had spoken before the tournament about Morocco moving beyond the underdog tag that followed their historic run to the World Cup semi-finals four years ago, when they became the first African nation to reach the last four.
Following the draw, Ouahbi reiterated his ambitions for the team.
"I want to go beyond the semi-finals, but it was a good match," he said. "One is good enough, and we'll improve."
The Moroccan coach also praised the support his team received despite being outnumbered in the stands.
"I don't know if 20% of the crowd were Moroccans, but we could hear them very loudly. If it was only 20%, they fooled me into thinking there were many more of them there," Ouahbi said, according to Reuters.
"I hope they had great fun watching a good match tonight, and I hope this will continue."
The result leaves Morocco and Brazil with one point each in Group C as the race for the knockout stages gets underway. Morocco will face Scotland in their next Group C clash, whereas Brazil will take on Haiti on Saturday.
With inputs from agencies
