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Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi voiced his disappointment after his team’s World Cup quarter-final elimination at the hands of France, arguing that the opening goal should not have been allowed to stand. The Atlas Lions boss claimed a handball occurred in the lead-up to Kylian Mbappe’s strike, which he said unsettled his players during the crucial clash in Boston.

Atlas Lions bow out of the tournament

Morocco’s brilliant World Cup journey came to an end in the quarter-finals following a 2-0 defeat to France in Boston. Ouahbi’s side had entered the game with genuine belief that they could topple the tournament favourites, especially after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied Mbappe from the penalty spot in the first half. However, their resistance was eventually broken in the 60th minute when the Real Madrid forward found the net, and Ousmane Dembele added a second just six minutes later to seal a commanding victory for the French side.

Ouahbi questions referee’s decision

In his post-match comments, Ouahbi expressed frustration with referee Facundo Tello for allowing France’s opener. He insisted that midfielder Adrien Rabiot had handled the ball before Mbappe capitalised to score against Morocco.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Ouahbi said: “The goal came from a bit of a contested ball, and some people stopped because they saw a handball. It was a handball. I am not sure whether it should have been called or not, I don’t know.”

Coach highlights team’s growth

Despite his disappointment over the controversial goal, Ouahbi was gracious in defeat, acknowledging the quality of the French team. He also pointed out that his players showed progress, particularly in maintaining composure and control during the second half.

The 49-year-old coach stated: “We have to admit we played against a very good team. We struggled a lot in the first half, and Bounou made an excellent save on the penalty. In the second half, we defended better and, most importantly, we were calmer with the ball. We improved significantly. In the first half, it seemed that some players were catching their breath, but they started the second half well.”

He added: “It was difficult towards the end, but we must continue to have belief and keep working. We also need to focus on the fundamentals, ensuring that when injuries or fatigue occur, we have enough depth in the squad. We will keep going and not stop here. We are very disappointed because we wanted more, but we must accept this result.”

Morocco turn attention to the future

Following their elimination, Morocco’s focus now shifts to developing greater depth in their squad to handle fitness and injury challenges, while nurturing the next generation of players to strengthen their core style of play. Meanwhile, France progress to the semi-finals in Dallas, where they will face either Spain or Belgium. Mbappe continues his pursuit of Lionel Messi’s all-time World Cup goalscoring record as the tournament enters its decisive stages.