Morocco striker Saibari ruled out of France quarter-final as Ouahbi insists Atlas Lions are chasing the title
Morocco will be without forward Ismael Saibari for Thursday's World Cup quarter-final against France, but coach Mohamed Ouahbi says his side are not satisfied with a last-eight place and are aiming to win the tournament.
Injury setback for Morocco
Morocco must face France without striker Ismael Saibari, who injured his hamstring early in the last-16 victory over Canada. Saibari scored in each of Morocco's three group games and converted the decisive penalty in the shootout win against the Netherlands in the round of 32. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed the forward is not ready for the quarter-final but hopes it is not the end of his tournament.
He's not ready but I hope it's not the end of the tournament for him.
France's attacking riches
France reached the last eight after a scrappy 1-0 win over Paraguay, with Kylian Mbappé scoring his seventh goal of the tournament from the penalty spot. The France captain is joint-top of the Golden Boot race alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland, though one report places Messi on eight goals. Alongside Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola give Didier Deschamps one of the most dangerous forward lines at the World Cup. Dembélé scored a hat-trick against Norway in the group stage.
Ouahbi rejects the underdog label
Morocco eased through their group with a draw against Brazil and wins over Haiti and Scotland, collecting seven points, before knocking out the Netherlands and co-hosts Canada. Ouahbi pushed back at suggestions his team had already overachieved by reaching the quarter-finals, insisting the only bonus is winning the World Cup.
I don't like this feeling 'we have done well to get here and all the rest is bonus'. No, the bonus is to win the World Cup.
A rematch with history
The match at Foxborough Stadium is a rematch of the 2022 semi-final, when France ended Morocco's historic run in Qatar with a 2-0 victory. Four years on, Morocco are no longer surprise outsiders but a confident side who have openly targeted the title. The two countries share a complex history: Morocco was a French colony for much of the 20th century, and France is home to more than 700,000 people of Moroccan origin.
What to expect on Thursday
Ouahbi said there will be no surprises in Morocco's approach, stressing patience in possession and the need to hurt France on the wings and through the centre. France have yet to face a side with Morocco's blend of technical quality, athletic intensity and self-belief, and the quarter-final is expected to offer the clearest test yet of Les Bleus' title credentials.
