Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouabhi has declared his side potentially 'unstoppable' after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the 2026 World Cup round of 32. The match, held in Monterrey, Mexico, ended 1-1 after extra time before Morocco prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
Dominant display against Netherlands
Morocco, who became the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022, controlled large portions of the game. The Atlas Lions created numerous chances and showed resilience to force extra time after a late equalizer. Ouabhi credited the 2022 World Cup in Qatar for transforming the mentality of Moroccan football.
'The World Cup in Qatar changed the mentality of the Morocco team, and I'm well placed to speak about this,' said Ouabhi, who also led Morocco to victory at the Under-20 World Cup in Chile last year. 'Moroccan players in Morocco believe in themselves, the supporters, the fans believe in us as well. It's so important. They're demanding, but it's because they know just how far we can go.'
Next challenge: Canada
Morocco will face co-hosts Canada in the last 16, with a potential quarter-final against France looming. Ouabhi warned against complacency, stating, 'We know that it's game after game, and people think that it's kept to be easy for us, it's going to be a walk in the park for Morocco, which is not the case. Canada is a team that is going to be difficult for us.'
Despite the caution, Ouabhi expressed confidence in his team's potential to surpass their 2022 achievement. 'What we need to be telling ourselves is no one can stop us. We're unstoppable if we play the football that we know how to play. But nobody is unbeatable. And I tell my guys that as well. If we get things wrong, we'll go home, and we need to ensure that we have all the tools that we're using, the tools in our arsenal to go as far as we can, and that's the mentality that we want all of our players in Morocco to have.'
Koeman praises African football
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman acknowledged Morocco's quality and the broader rise of African teams. 'It's very clear watching this World Cup that African teams have greatly improved in tactical sense, and also in the way they play their matches,' Koeman said. 'Morocco is the country that, in terms of talents, really generates good players, young players that continue to join the major clubs in Europe. It's not without a reason why they have a higher ranking than the Netherlands.'
