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World Cup: Morocco’s mentality at test after booking date with France
05th July, 2026 07:53 AM
Morocco’s progress at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been driven by far more than technical quality, with the Atlas Lions once again demonstrating remarkable resilience during their convincing 3-0 victory over Canada to book a meeting with France in the quarter-finals.
The beckoning blockbuster on July 9, 2026, is a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where the French side prevailed over the Atlas Lions, and proceeded to the final against eventual champions Argentina.
Morocco downs Canada
Much like their dramatic last-16 triumph over the Netherlands, Morocco had to endure a difficult spell before taking complete control of the contest. Their first-half display in Houston was far from convincing, and few would have predicted such a comfortable final score after the opening 45 minutes.
Canada dominated large stretches of the first half, disrupting Morocco’s passing rhythm and preventing them from building attacks from the back. The North Americans created several dangerous opportunities and, without a series of outstanding saves from goalkeeper Yassine Bono as well as wasteful finishing by Canada’s forwards, Morocco could easily have gone into halftime trailing.
Instead, the Atlas Lions survived the pressure before delivering a ruthless response after the interval. Azzedine Ounahi struck twice, while Brahim Diaz finally found space to influence the game, setting up two important goals as Morocco powered to an emphatic victory.
Morocco’s refusal to surrender
The latest comeback added to a growing pattern throughout Morocco’s tournament. A rotated side defeated Haiti, they recovered from two deficits to beat the same opponents 4-2 in the group stage finale, then rescued a 91st-minute equaliser against the Netherlands before advancing on penalties. Against Canada, they once again weathered adversity before emerging victorious.
Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi believes enduring difficult moments is simply part of competing at the highest level.
“We had to suffer, that is how it is. When you have a team as generous as this, which gives so much intensity in their running and their duels, you know there will be difficult moments. But if you want to go far at this World Cup, you have to come through difficult moments.”
Midfielder Neil El Aynaoui also highlighted the squad’s determination.
“It is incredible. Our strength is to never give up.”
Ounahi, who produced the match-winning brace, viewed the encounter as another valuable learning experience.
“This is a match that will help us grow.”
Area for improvement
As Morocco prepare for a quarter-final showdown with France, their resilience could again prove crucial against one of the tournament favourites.
However, there are still issues to address. Morocco’s shaky first-half performance against Canada once again exposed moments of anxiety and frustration. Redouane Halhal, Achraf Hakimi, Ounahi and Bilal El Khannouss were all shown yellow cards before halftime, with several bookings resulting from unnecessary challenges rather than tactical fouls.
Fortunately for Morocco, the disciplinary slate was effectively reset after the group stage, and with only Issa Diop having been booked during the Netherlands clash, none of the cautioned players are suspended for the quarter-finals.
Even so, maintaining composure in high-pressure situations will be essential as the competition intensifies. Against stronger opponents, lapses in discipline could carry far greater consequences than they did against Canada.
