Morocco coach Mohamed Wahbi: I told the players, "Hold your heads high"

Moroccan national team coach Walid Regragui’s successor, Mohamed Vahbi, confirmed on Friday that “a loss against a team of France’s stature was inevitable,” expressing pride in his players and their ability to “become stronger” after being eliminated from the quarter-finals of the North American World Cup.

Speaking at a press conference following the 2-0 defeat to France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, on the outskirts of Boston, Vahbi said: “The French national team is very strong. We have faced them twice in the World Cup, and French football is of a high standard; history demonstrates its strength and continuity.”

He added: “As for the Moroccan national team, it is still under construction. After the World Cup, we will become stronger. A loss against a team of this magnitude was expected, but it gives us the motivation to develop.”

He continued: “We are disappointed that our journey ended here and that we wished to continue, but I am proud of what we achieved and the ideas we presented since March,” referring to his appointment following his compatriot Walid Regragui, who achieved a historic milestone by reaching the semi-finals before also falling 2-0 to France in Qatar.

Vahbi clarified that the players “did their utmost. We wanted to do much more with the ball, but we must acknowledge the strength of the opponent and their coach, Didier Deschamps. I told them they should hold their heads high because we tried and gave everything. We must continue and face objective criticism, as we hoped to go further. We have other goals, and we must continue working to achieve them.”

He noted that his national team lacked “much in today’s match and did not perform at its usual level. The French national team disrupted our rhythm, but we must continue working to succeed, and we have the qualities to do so.”