ATLANTA — Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi has said his team will fear no one in the knockout rounds and insisted they have already shown what they are capable of at this World Cup by drawing with Brazil.
Morocco are on course to seal a place in the last-32 ahead of their final group game against Haiti in Atlanta on Wednesday.
With Group C and Group F paired together in the next round, Morocco face the prospect of playing the Netherlands in the knockouts.
Ouahbi, though, insists Morocco, who reached the semifinal in Qatar four years ago, can take on anyone.
“Well, the Brazil game served as a reference point, but we’re not looking ahead too much, you know,” the Morocco coach told a news conference on Tuesday.
“A lot of people talk about the Netherlands, but you have Japan as well. Obviously those reference games are very helpful, for what comes next, maybe the Netherlands, maybe Japan, maybe France, Portugal, Argentina.
“The thing is, we’re ready. And I think we’ve managed to show that we are capable of a lot.”
Ouahbi also dismissed concerns about the fitness of first-choice goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
But the 49-year-old hinted at making changes to his team to face Haiti with qualification for the knockout rounds all but secured.
Morocco sit second in Group C after earning four points from games against Brazil and Scotland.
“Probably we will qualify but we still need to win the next game,” Ouahbi said.
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“I’m going to use the players from the 26. You know the list.
“Our objective is to win the game so we’ll have the best possible team.
“There are decisions to be made. We want to win and be first in the group. First we need to win the game and then see where it takes us.”
Ouahbi was joined at his news conference by goalkeeper Munir El Kajoui, who took the opportunity to offer his backing to Achraf Hakimi after it was announced by a French appeals court that the Paris Saint-Germain defender will stand trial in a rape case.
“Everyone is supporting Achraf,” El Kajoui said.
“He is our standard in Morocco. Every time we will be behind him in everything.”
