Morocco’s hopes of ending France’s FIFA World Cup title charge have suffered a significant setback, with in-form forward Ismael Saibari ruled out of Thursday’s blockbuster quarter-final because of a hamstring injury.Head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed on the eve of the contest that the PSV Eindhoven star has failed to recover after picking up the injury during Morocco’s 3-0 Round of 16 victory over Canada, depriving the Atlas Lions of one of their most influential players for the biggest game of their campaign.“He’s not ready but I hope it’s not the end of the tournament for him,” Ouahbi told reporters.Saibari has been one of Morocco’s standout performers in the tournament, scoring in all three group-stage matches before converting the decisive penalty in the shootout victory over the Netherlands in the Round of 32. His absence leaves a major hole in Morocco’s attack as they attempt to upset two-time world champions France and reach the World Cup semi-finals for the second consecutive tournament.
Ouahbi refuses to change Morocco’s approach
Despite losing one of his key attacking weapons, Ouahbi insisted Morocco will not abandon the playing style that has carried them into the last eight.“With regards to preparing for the match, there will not be any surprises. I have nothing to hide. I’m not somebody who is keen on surprises, and those of you who have analysed our games, you know that we have a clear idea of how we want to play,” he said.The Moroccan coach stressed that patience in possession and intelligent movement would be crucial against Didier Deschamps’ side.“Of course, the key will be to hurt them when we have possession, but it’s not only on the wings. We have to be patient with the ball, and to find where we can go through on the sides or in the centre. We’ve proven that we can hurt any team, and that’s the goal,” he added.The quarter-final is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France ended Morocco’s historic run with a 2-0 victory. However, Ouahbi believes both teams have evolved considerably since then.“Every match is different. We have a different team, and we’re going to face a different French team than the one from four years ago,” he said.Rejecting suggestions that merely reaching the quarter-finals should satisfy his players, Ouahbi added: “France might be favourites, but we’re going to do everything possible to win. Being at this stage is not a bonus. The bonus is to win the World Cup.”
France eye another deep World Cup run
France enter the clash in Foxborough with a perfect five-match record and are chasing a third successive FIFA World Cup semi-final appearance. Kylian Mbappe has led the charge with seven goals, while Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola complete a formidable attack.Deschamps warned against underestimating Morocco despite Saibari’s absence.“We met them four years ago in the semifinal. It is a really great, excellent team with top-notch individuals. They’re not here to play. They’re there to win,” he said.The French coach also dismissed concerns over off-field controversies surrounding Mbappe, insisting, “Kylian is OK… He’s just focused on tomorrow’s game.”Morocco, unbeaten in 10 matches since January’s Africa Cup of Nations final, are still chasing a first-ever victory over France after four defeats and two draws in six previous meetings. The winners will face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals.
