Morocco coach: Defeat was expected against a team of France's stature... and we will become stronger

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 their exit from the quarter-finals of the North American World Cup.

Vahbi said at a press conference following the 2-0 defeat to France at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, on the outskirts of Boston: “The French 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: “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 as coach following his compatriot Walid Regragui, who achieved the historic feat of reaching the semi-finals before falling 2-0 to Spain in Qatar.

Vahbi clarified that the players “did everything in their power. 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 team disrupted our rhythm, but we must continue working to succeed, and we have the qualities to do so.”

Vahbi highlighted that “the first ten minutes were very difficult for us, as they raised the tempo and created problems for us on the flanks. When we saw the ball moving faster, we had to run more. I felt the players were gasping for breath.”

He continued: “I wanted to make some changes at halftime, and when I spoke to the players, I felt they were in good shape. I wanted them to go further. In the second half, our performance improved on the flanks; we ran more, pushed deeper, and controlled the ball, but we must acknowledge that the opposing team was very strong.”

He added: “We could have played at a faster pace, but we did what we could. We moved better. We tried to control the ball as much as possible. We had a good performance during transitional phases. We tried to be more creative. We continued experimenting with new ideas to develop our playing style.”

He pointed out that “we had the intention to further develop our attacking performance. As I said, I do not coach a team solely for defense or attack. Depending on the context of the match and our feel during it, we change our playing style. Therefore, we did not feel incapable of advancing, but that did not worry me. In the second half, we were better defensively, but we did not advance enough. Injuries also affected the players. This is a step forward. We cannot play all matches at the same level. We have a young team; we will continue to develop and possess the potential.”

Vahbi added: “We wanted to show more at the World Cup, to deliver a better level, but France was stronger. It is a good experience for the young players, and for me as a novice coach. I am proud of what we presented against world-class coaches like Italy’s Carlo Ancelotti and Deschamps.”

He concluded: “We have the Africa Cup of Nations and its qualifiers ahead. If we succeed in advancing, we will continue building to compete for it. We will try to win it. It is difficult. We have a strong team of players. We have a cohesive football system. We have significant support for investment to reach the highest levels. We must focus on what can be improved and what we lack.”