Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his side had earned respect after knocking the Netherlands out of the World Cup in a penalty shootout on Monday, adding that his players were fuelled by the desire to make the millions watching back home proud.
Morocco beat the Dutch 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to reach the last 16, where they will face co-hosts Canada.
Ismael Saibari converted the winning spot kick after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou had saved Crysencio Summerville’s attempt.
“Morocco has gained everybody’s respect now,” Ouahbi told reporters. “It’s not because of what we’ve said. We’ve now shown it.”
The coach, who stepped up from Morocco’s under-20 setup after helping guide the country’s youth teams to success, said his players were driven by something greater than football.
“This team, and all the Moroccan youth teams, are fighting for much, much more than just football or simply winning a match,” he said.
“They know that behind them there are millions and millions of people. We played when it was two in the morning in Morocco and we’re certain that most people stayed awake. That gives you the energy not to give up, to keep going and to believe in yourself.”
Ouahbi said Morocco had dominated the match despite needing penalties to progress.
“We completely dominated a Netherlands team,” he said.
“We had 70% possession, more shots and more expected goals. We controlled the match,” he added.
“We wanted to stay calm, play our game and believe that if it went to penalties we had an exceptional goalkeeper. We didn’t turn the match into a chaotic battle. We controlled it.”
Ouahbi said the Netherlands’ defensive approach came as a surprise but viewed it as recognition of Morocco’s growing stature.
“I really didn’t expect this kind of low block because the Netherlands like to have the ball and are very strong when they do,” he said. “I saw this type of play as a form of respect.”
The 49-year-old felt Morocco’s run to the semifinals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar had changed the country’s mentality.
“For the past few years, Moroccan players believe in themselves and the supporters believe in us as well,” he said.
Ouahbi cautioned that Canada would provide another stern test in the last 16 but said Morocco would approach the knockout tie full of belief.
“Nobody can stop us if we play the football we know how to
play,” he said. “But nobody is unbeatable. If we get things
wrong, we’ll go home.”
Source: Khaleej Times