Morocco’s Atlas Lions manager, Mohamed Ouahbi, has issued a cautionary note against overconfidence following the team’s impressive 1-1 draw with Brazil in their opening match. As the team prepares for their second group stage encounter at the 2026 World Cup, Ouahbi stresses the importance of maintaining focus in the lead-up to the game against Scotland.
The match is scheduled for this Friday at 10 PM GMT at Gillette Stadium. Ouahbi highlighted that despite the morale boost from the draw with Brazil, it is essential to remain grounded, particularly considering the current standings where Scotland leads with three points, while Morocco has just one.
“We had to put the Brazil match behind us quickly. Euphoria? You just have to look at the standings – Scotland are ahead of us,” he stated. “We need to do even better. We look at the standings to keep our feet on the ground,” he added.
Looking ahead, Ouahbi anticipates a challenging encounter against the Scots, particularly in terms of physicality. He noted, “The physical challenge from the Scots will come from second balls or aerial duels. We need to stay compact for as long as possible to have as many players as possible around the ball. But we need to control the match and stay calm to prevent it from swinging from one end to the other. We mustn’t get too stressed.”