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As Azzedine Ounahi put Morocco up early successful nan 2nd half, his coach Mohamed Ouahbi wagged a delighted finger. There was, perhaps, alleviation location too. In February he replaced nan astir successful coach successful Morocco’s history, Walid Regragui, who whitethorn not person been celebrated by nan end, but nan thought that his successor mightiness surpass his achievements seemed almost impossible. That whitethorn still beryllium a measurement disconnected but, 5 months on, Morocco person go nan first African broadside to scope nan World Cup quarter-finals doubly – and there’s not overmuch uncertainty that they’re playing better.
Criticism of Regragui astatine nan 2025 Cup of Nations, which Morocco hosted and whitethorn person won connected entreaty – though we’ll person to hold for nan tribunal of arbitration for athletics ruling to beryllium judge – seemed harsh to outsiders. He had taken Morocco to a World Cup semi-final and had mislaid only 4 of his 49 games successful complaint – among them that semi-final against France successful Qatar and nan third-place playoff against Croatia. Was he really overly defensive, aliases was that conscionable nan measurement Morocco had to play?
More analyzable was nan consciousness that Regragui, done nary existent responsibility of his own, had go nan look of nan Moroccan establishment. At nan last-16 crippled against Tanzania successful Rabat, location was booing erstwhile his look appeared connected nan large screen, which took immoderate unpicking. But moreover among fans location was disquiet astir really overmuch money had been spent connected football-related infrastructure, successful portion pinch a position to hosting nan World Cup successful 2030, alternatively than health, acquisition or, pertinently fixed December’s flooding successful Safi that led to 37 deaths, basal infrastructure. If money had to beryllium diverted into football, nan logic seemed to run, fto it astatine slightest not beryllium cautious, controlling football.
Regragui near nan occupation aft nan arguable last against Senegal to beryllium replaced by Ouahbi, nan erstwhile Anderlecht adjunct who led Morocco to Under-20 World Cup occurrence past year. He has implemented a acold much progressive, violative style and, pinch amended finishing, Morocco would not only not person needed penalties against nan Netherlands successful nan past 32 but would besides person beaten Brazil successful nan group stage.
But this wasn’t really astir nan caller style. This was a very old-fashioned Morocco performance, dogged and dour, admirably competitive, and pinch nan undoubted expertise of nan much imaginative players seen almost wholly successful counterattacks. Whether their cagey commencement was by creation aliases because they were forced into it by Canada’s ferocity, though, was unclear.
But Ouahbi’s Morocco are conscionable arsenic tin arsenic Regragui’s of resisting; this was a classical smash and drawback from a squad that recognised its limitations and played intelligently wrong them. They took nan gait retired of nan game, reset and, moreover pinch nan nonaccomplishment of Ismael Saibari to wounded conscionable earlier nan first hydration break, managed to stem nan Canadian tide. Without Saibari, who has been 1 of nan players of nan tourney truthful far, Morocco looked highly blunt, managing conscionable 1 touch successful nan Canadian container earlier nan break.
As it turned out, they didn’t request a second, taking nan lead six minutes into nan 2nd half arsenic Achraf Hakimi pulled a free-kick backmost for Ounahi to expanse successful from conscionable extracurricular nan area. He was possibly somewhat fortunate still to beryllium connected nan field. Booked successful nan first half, Ounahi had tugged astatine Ali Ahmed a mates of minutes earlier which, moreover though an advantage was played, mightiness easy person led to a 2nd yellow. Certainly, Canada’s Stephen Eustáquio seemed to beryllium suggesting that to nan referee Michael Oliver.
Morocco, though, had done what they needed to do. Canada, it became apparent, had gambled everything connected that energetic opening. Once their momentum was stopped, Yassine Bounou making 1 good prevention pinch his feet from Tani Oluwaseyi, erstwhile Morocco made nan crippled a scrap, erstwhile nan first adrenal surge was over, location wasn’t overmuch left. Ounahi added his 2nd of nan crippled aft a break led by Chemsdine Talbi and Brahim Díaz earlier Soufiane Rahimi, having gone adjacent pinch a header that struck nan bar, made it 3 successful wounded clip from different Díaz-led transition.
The shape is becoming a acquainted 1 successful football: a gyration is astatine its astir potent successful its earliest shape erstwhile vestiges of a nation’s personality remain. It was existent of Liverpool successful their first play nether Arne Slot, arsenic he dressed nan foundational stones near by Jürgen Klopp successful caller guise. It was existent of Stefan Kovacs astatine Ajax arsenic he built connected nan activity of Rinus Michels. And it was existent of Claudio Ranieri astatine Leicester arsenic he took connected Nigel Pearson’s squad and made them Premier League champions.
The threat whitethorn travel later, arsenic Germany are possibly finding: nan reboot whitethorn person won them nan World Cup but sweeping distant nan civilization of Führungspieler [leaders] who utilized to thrust them done tournaments has near them susceptible to nan benignant of underperformance they are now experiencing. But that’s a interest for nan future. Right now, Morocco person Ouahbi’s stylings but successful moments of situation they tin still trust connected nan Regragui base.
