Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has urged his players and supporters to look beyond the disappointment of their FIFA World Cup exit and focus on the next challenge, insisting the road to a successful 2030 campaign begins with conquering Africa.
The Atlas Lions saw their impressive World Cup journey come to an end with a 2-0 quarter final defeat to France, but Ouahbi made it clear that thoughts of the tournament Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal in four years’ time must not distract from more immediate objectives.
“I think that before there is still an Africa Cup of Nations,” Ouahbi said after the defeat.
“There are qualifiers for the Africa Cup.”
Rather than viewing 2030 as the next destination, the Morocco coach outlined a step by step roadmap that he believes will give his side the best chance of becoming genuine contenders on home soil.
“If we want to get there in 2030, we have to prepare well for the next matches, continue to build and continue to perform,” he said.
“Qualify for the Africa Cup and try to win it.”
Sustained success cannot be achieved by looking too far ahead. Instead, he believes Morocco must approach the coming years with the same mentality required during a World Cup knockout campaign.
“It’s a bit like when you play a competition,” he explained.
“It’s match after match. It’s going to be the same thing.”
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The 49-year-old expressed confidence that Morocco already possess the foundations needed to keep progressing, pointing to the country’s emerging generation of players and the structures supporting the national team.
“We know that we have young players,” he said.
“We have a great pool of players. We have a strong federation.”
Ouahbi also highlighted the continued investment being made into Moroccan football, saying it provides every reason to believe the national team can continue competing with the world’s elite.
“We have everything we need,” he added.
“So we just have to not panic, question ourselves, see what we can improve and move forward.”
The former Belgium youth coach refused to let elimination overshadow what he considers another important milestone in Morocco’s long term project.
Instead of dwelling on the defeat, he called for honest reflection and steady improvement as preparations begin for the next cycle.
“There are other objectives in September,” he said.
“We have to keep looking forward, get our heads up and keep going.”
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Ouahbi believes Morocco’s recent progress has raised expectations both inside and outside the country, but he insisted that continued growth depends on maintaining patience rather than chasing distant ambitions.
