2026 World Cup: Mohamed Ouahbi, tactical mistakes at the worst moment

At Gillette Stadium, Mohamed Ouahbi's men never really found the rhythm that had been their strength in previous rounds. Faced with a well-drilled French team carried by an ever-sharp Kylian Mbappé, Morocco struggled to impose its game. The Real Madrid striker opened the scoring in the 60^th minute, before Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead in the 66^th, sealing the outcome of the match.

The strong (and costly) choices of Mohamed Ouahbi

This may be where things went wrong: for this decisive encounter, the Moroccan coach made several changes that did not pay off.

Deprived of Ismaël Saïbari, injured, Ouahbi gambled by starting Chemsdine Talbi in the attacking trio, alongside Azzedine Ounahi and Bilal El Khannouss, with Brahim Diaz up front, foregoing true strikers like Rahimi and El Kaabi. This reshuffled attacking setup never really unsettled the French defense.

Another notable choice: repositioning Noussair Mazraoui, usually a fullback, in the center of defense alongside Issa Diop. This was a new partnership in this World Cup, which exposed a lack of chemistry against confident French attackers.

In midfield, the duo Neil El Aynaoui - Ayyoub Bouaddi was kept to maintain balance, but failed to tip the scales.

Fear of the void?

Before this do-or-die match, Mohamed Ouahbi was questioned about his approach to the game. He had replied at the time that being a favorite or an underdog didn't matter much. However, Morocco adopted the underdog role against a giant, sitting very deep in hopes of countering the French. Still, this strategy seemed mostly dictated by one fear: the speed and transitions of France. As a result, we saw a timid Moroccan team, which managed only one shot on target in 90 minutes (out of 5 attempts), conceding 22 shots (9 on target) in return. And ironically, the Atlas Lions conceded the second goal... on a quick transition.

A losing gamble, then, since by not wanting to leave too much space for the French attacking quartet (Olise, Dembélé, Doué, Mbappé), Mohamed Ouahbi abandoned his football that, since the start of the competition, had been characterized by intensity, personality, and risk-taking.

An elimination that doesn't erase a fine run

Despite this disappointment, Morocco leaves a positive impression from this 2026 World Cup, confirming its place among the nations capable of competing with the big international teams. A young Moroccan generation, led by Hakimi, Bouaddi, and El Khannouss, showed it has the level to aim even higher in future competitions.

France, meanwhile, continues its journey toward a possible third star and will face the winner of the clash between Spain and Belgium in the semi-final.