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Morocco’s Under-20 team reached the World Cup quarter-finals after a 2-1 win over South Korea in a tense round of 16.
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi said his players handled a tricky match well against a side with nothing to lose.
“It was a tough game because we played against a team that didn’t start the tournament well and had nothing to lose,” Ouahbi told the Moroccan FA’s media channel. “In the first half, they defended with clear fear because they knew we could hurt them on the counter. They tried not to leave us any space.”
Morocco managed to stay composed and find openings. “Praise be to Allah, with calm and focus, we managed to create some spaces and chances,” he said. “At first, we lost the ball in silly ways a few times, which is exactly what they wanted. So we asked the players to stay calm, especially since we were already leading.”
Ouahbi said some of his players were too eager at the start: “Sometimes young players want to finish the game quickly. Their enthusiasm is understandable. But this is the World Cup knockout stage. We’re not here to show off. We’re here to represent Morocco in the best way.”
He added. “The players showed good tactical awareness, fighting spirit, and teamwork. We did struggle towards the end as they pushed with long balls, so we need to defend better against crosses and set-pieces.”
Looking ahead, Morocco will face the United States on October 12 at 21:00 Morocco time in the quarter-finals. The winner will meet either France or Norway in the semi-finals.
Ouahbi expects another demanding contest. “We’re facing a very strong opponent. As I said before in Morocco, the United States are one of the favourites to win the title. We’ve faced them three times and know them well. It will be a tough quarter-final.”
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