Morocco boss confirms star absence, says France are favourites | OneFootball

Morocco will be without a major player in its attempt to upset France in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

At a press conference this Wednesday (8) in Boston (USA), head coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed that forward Ismael Saibari will miss the decisive clash.

One of Morocco’s standout performers in the tournament, with three goals in five matches, Saibari suffered an injury to the back of his right thigh during the round of 16 match against Canada and did not recover in time.

Without its main attacking weapon, the expectation is that the coach will start Soufiane Rahimi as his replacement.

Rematch after 2022

Despite acknowledging the enormous strength of the European opponent, Ouahbi made it clear that the African side will not take the field resigned to defeat. The coach demanded maximum ambition from his players.

"I always like to say that success is measured at the end of the competition. Let’s not fool ourselves, France are the favorites, but we will do everything possible to win the match. I don’t like the feeling of facing a wall. The big prize is winning the World Cup; I don’t like this idea of 'we got here and that’s enough,'" he said.

Thursday’s match carries extra weight: it is a rematch between the teams after the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Qatar, won by the French 2-0.

For the Moroccan manager, however, the situation has changed. He stressed that Morocco have improved tactically and that the goal is to play at 100% so they do not leave the field with regrets.

No controversy over the refereeing

In line with the remarks of France coach Didier Deschamps, Ouahbi avoided stirring controversy over the appointment of Argentine referee Facundo Tello to officiate the match.

The coach praised the referee’s experience and said the squad is calm, asking only for consistency and communication when handing out cards.

Match Details:

Fixture: France vs Morocco (Quarter-finals)

Date: Thursday, July 9, 2026

Time: 5:00 PM (Brasília time)

Venue: Boston Stadium (United States)

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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