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Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign opener against five-time champions Brazil, Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi expressed that his side has "entered a new dimension" and the team "need to go for the trophy" whenever they enter a major competition.
Just in the previous edition at Qatar, Morocco became the first-ever African nation to enter the semifinal of the FIFA World Cup, downing heavyweights like Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and quarterfinals. Now, as they are the co-hosts of the 2030 edition of the tournament alongside the teams they beat on their road to the semifinals four years back, Ouahbi feels that his team is "respected much more now" and they are "not afraid" of the five-time champions. "(Brazil are) not afraid - we're not afraid either," he told reporters as quoted by Reuters. "We have entered a new dimension, we're respected much more now... we need to take ownership of this and be in it for the duration. For now, when Morocco enters a competition, it needs to go for the (trophy)," he added. Ouahbi took over the team only three months back, and since then, they have lost their starters, Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli, to injury ahead of the tournament. The coach said that the rest of the side is fit for the exciting Group C clash. Having been the coach for Morocco at the age-group level, Ouahbi said that the team is "not going to change their principles too much". "We do not need to fear Brazil now. We have got our principles, our values, and we know who we are playing for. Some people say it is not the Brazil of before. It is a prestigious match - it is an honourable thing to start our journey with this match," he signed off. Morocco is captained by Paris Saint-Germain superstar Achraf Hakimi, who has recovered from the thigh injury sustained back in April and will be heading into the tournament with a psychological advantage, having beaten Brazil in their most recent friendly meeting back in 2023. (ANI)
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