The North Africans, who reached the semi-finals in the 2022 World Cup, have earned four points from their first two matches in Group C, following a 1-1 draw with Brazil and a 1-0 victory over Scotland. A positive result against Haiti is now necessary to secure qualification.
Although Morocco has taken 26 shots over the two matches, they’ve found the net only twice, an aspect Ouahbi aims to enhance as his team aspires for a deep tournament run. Forward Ismael Saibari has been a standout, netting a goal just 71 seconds into the match against Scotland, marking the fastest goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup thus far.
In the game against Brazil, Saibari displayed composure to give Morocco the lead in a match their fans believed they deserved to win. Brahim Diaz consistently challenged the Scottish defense in the first half, providing the key pass that led to Saibari’s goal.
The 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, in only his second competitive international appearance, played with remarkable poise, controlling the midfield and making a series of precise first-touch passes.
Bouaddi’s precision contributed to Morocco achieving 601 passes, a record for an African team in a World Cup match since 1966. However, despite dominating possession and pressuring Scotland for much of the game – including a Saibari shot that deflected off the bar – Morocco only managed two shots on target, one of which was their quick-fire goal.
Coach Ouahbi, who took the helm in March after fans criticized his predecessor Walid Regragui for his playing style, aimed to emphasize his team’s defensive efforts as Scotland increased their pressure toward the end. “Naturally, we would have preferred to score that second goal for more comfort, but we wanted to keep them really, really high up so they wouldn’t crowd our box,” he stated.
“We lacked a bit of efficiency, but … Ismael Saibari has two goals. He’s staying consistent. I hope to see others score as well.”
For Scotland, this narrow defeat is unlikely to severely impact their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time. After defeating Haiti 1-0 and losing narrowly to Morocco, Scotland could still qualify for the tournament’s new round of 32 – part of this year’s expanded format – if they finish third in their group. Their final Group C match is against Brazil.
