Soccer
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi. Photo by IMAGO
Former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh has weighed in on Morocco’s chances of replicating their historic semifinal run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Atlas Lions began their campaign at the ongoing Mundial on Saturday night with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against five-time world champions Brazil at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Morocco dominated large spells of the contest and deservedly took the lead in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari. The attacking midfielder latched onto a defence-splitting pass from Brahim Diaz before chipping the ball over Alisson Becker to put his side in front.
Brazil responded just after the half-hour mark through another moment of brilliance. Vinicius Junior curled an unstoppable effort beyond the reach of Yassine Bounou to restore parity.
Morocco nearly snatched all three points deep into stoppage time, but Brazil had Alisson to thank for a stunning double save that preserved the draw as both sides settled for a share of the spoils in an entertaining Group C encounter.
Soccer Sunday Oliseh explains what Morocco must do to repeat 2022 heroics
Morocco enjoyed a historic campaign at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals before eventually finishing fourth.
Much has changed since that remarkable achievement. Head coach Walid Regragui has since left the role, with Mohamed Ouahbi now in charge of the national team after taking over in March.
While Oliseh believes Morocco are capable of matching their previous success, he warned that they cannot rely on the same tactical approach that served them so well four years ago.
Speaking on the Global News Podcast, the former Super Eagles midfielder explained that opponents are now far more familiar with that style and will be better prepared to counter it.
“Well, it’s possible they can build on it. The eggshell has been broken now. Everybody knows that when you’re good, you can get that far. I think so”, Oliseh said on BBC.
“But the question I’m asking myself now is that if the Moroccans play the same way they did four years ago now, they won’t get that far. Because they played a tactically very cagey style and came out countering to win games. But if you do that now, you’re going to struggle.
“I find Senegal extremely strong. I find the Moroccans also solid, but how they now cope with the change of manager, I don’t know how it’s going to affect them.”
Soccer Oliseh hopes to see Africa win the World Cup
Since the inception of the FIFA World Cup in 1930, only eight nations have lifted football’s biggest prize. None of those winners have come from Africa, despite the continent producing several memorable campaigns over the years.
Cameroon and Ghana both reached the quarter-finals in previous editions, while Morocco’s semifinal appearance in 2022 remains Africa’s highest ever finish.
Oliseh admitted it is one of his greatest wishes to see an African country win the World Cup during his lifetime.
“There’s something I want to see before God takes me to heaven or hell — I don’t know which one he’s sending me to. It would be great to see an African nation win this, because this is a competition that we all love passionately in Africa and whoever wins that, I wish them good luck”, he concluded.
Morocco will now turn their attention to Friday’s clash against Scotland, and fans can keep up with the tournament’s ultimate guide here. They will then conclude their Group C campaign against Haiti on June 24 as they look to secure a place in the knockout stages and potentially emulate their historic 2022 World Cup achievement.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Chief Editor at Soccernet.ng. He has interviewed Super Eagles stars like William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Ademola Lookman, and is known for breaking major transfer stories.
Ayomide has worked with Sports Brief, Naija News and served as Social Lead Editor at Legit.ng. He has also featured on Goal, TVC News, Sports Mole, and Milan News24. He holds a Master’s degree and is currently pursuing a PhD. Follow Ayomide on X (formerly Twitter): @ayo_oguntimehin
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