Moroccan media warns the Netherlands: 'New standards for African football'
Morocco won 4-2 against Haiti to advance to the knock-out round of the World Cup, leading to pride and new norms in Moroccan media. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi's team was praised for its resilience and attacking ability, while preparing for the encounter with the Netherlands.
Morocco won tickets to the knockout round of the World Cup with a convincing 4-2 victory over Haiti. In Moroccan media, pride is overwhelming not only because of this achievement but also because coach Mohamed Ouahbi's team is writing history. Al Bayane newspaper commented that the team performed impressively but there are still many areas to improve. "This was a dramatic match, in which the richness of the squad and the mental strength of the team were once again demonstrated. Although Morocco were behind twice, they did not panic. On the offensive side, Morocco proved their quality, creating more than twenty scoring opportunities. Ismael Saibari continued his excellent form from the group stage, while Achraf Hakimi once again asserted his technical leadership. However, the Defensive errors against Haiti need to be corrected before entering the knockout round."
Le Matin newspaper emphasized the historical significance of this group stage. The victory over Haiti also helped Morocco set a number of records. "With four goals against Haiti, Morocco increased its total number of goals at the World Cup to 26, surpassing Nigeria (23) and Cameroon (22), becoming the African team with the most goals in World Cup history." Morocco has also equaled the African record for the number of matches at the World Cup with 26 matches, and this number may increase in the United States. "The Atlas Lions not only write beautiful stories, but also set new standards for African football."
Le360 Sport also looked forward to the meeting with the Netherlands and recalled the history of confrontation between the two teams. According to the Moroccan newspaper, the two teams have met three times before. "The first meeting took place on June 29, 1994 during the World Cup in the United States. Morocco then won 2-1 on April 28, 1999 in Arnhem thanks to goals from Youssef Chippo and Salaheddine Bassir. Ruud van Nistelrooij, currently assistant coach of the Netherlands, scored for the Dutch team in that match. The last meeting was on June 31 5 years 2017 in Agadir also ended with a 2-1 victory for the Netherlands."
Le360 Sport also evaluated players who played in the Eredivisie tournament. Anass Salah-Eddine received a score of 5.5 after the match against Haiti. "The match was not outstanding. His kicking was quite good, but the PSV defender did not have the expected impact. He rarely appeared on the wing and in defense was also somewhat unconvincing. In the first goal, he did not handle the ball well, leading to the goal." Sofyan Amrabat, former player of Feyenoord and FC Utrecht, received a score of 6.5. "A stable match, with a contribution to Morocco's first goal. Although sometimes inaccurate in passing and positioning, his crosses made things difficult for the Haitian defense and created many dangerous situations." The highest rating belongs to Saibari, with 7.5. "He is always in the right positions and is tireless. With the equalizer just before the break, he had three goals at the World Cup, equal with Youssef En-Nesyri, becoming the player with the most goals for Morocco in World Cup history. Although he missed a big chance in the first half, he still affirmed his excellent performance in this tournament.
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