FIFA WC 2026: Morocco coach hails 1-0 win over Scotland as progress

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi praised his team's 1-0 FIFA World Cup 2026 win over Scotland as an improvement on their Brazil draw. Ismael Saibari's goal, the fastest of the tournament, secured the crucial victory, moving them to four points.

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi hailed his side's performance in the 1-0 FIFA World Cup 2026 victory over Scotland, saying it was an improvement on their impressive display against Brazil in the opening group-stage match.

Morocco secured a crucial win in Group C on Friday after Ismael Saibari scored in the second minute, netting after just 71 seconds to register the fastest goal of the tournament at that point. The North Africans then produced a disciplined display to hold off Scotland and move to four points from two matches.

'Better than the first game'

Despite earning praise for their 1-1 draw against Brazil in their World Cup opener, Ouahbi felt his team showed greater control and efficiency against Scotland. "We controlled the whole game and, in terms of efficiency, I saw it as actually better than the first game," Ouahbi said after the match, according to Reuters. "I see it as progress compared to the first game. So in the end, we are happy with the result; we wanted three points, and we got them. That was the main objective," he said.

Morocco dominated large phases of the contest but were unable to add a second goal, allowing Scotland to push forward in the closing stages in search of an equaliser. "I believe we controlled the game, but when you don't score a second goal, obviously, we have to defend because Scotland had a very intense approach with very long balls. But I couldn't be happier with the performance," he added.

Hakimi jeered amid ongoing legal case

The match was also overshadowed by the ongoing legal case involving Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi. The defender faced jeers from sections of the crowd after a French appeals court confirmed he would stand trial in a rape case. Hakimi has denied the allegation.

Ouahbi, however, insisted the issue had not affected either the player or the squad. "Hakimi was extraordinary. He had a very strong game, so we're very relaxed, and he's especially relaxed," the coach said.

Focus on Haiti clash

With four points from two matches, Morocco are well placed to advance to the knockout stage but have not yet secured qualification mathematically. Their final Group C fixture is against Haiti in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Ouahbi said Morocco would continue to target victories rather than rotate heavily for the final group game. "The objective will be to win the game and hopefully be number one in the group. So I'm going to field the best team possible, based on how physically ready the players are," he concluded.

Morocco opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Brazil before defeating Scotland 1-0 to strengthen their chances of progressing to the next round. (ANI)

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