Morocco coach challenges France after meteoric rise

The coach of the Moroccan national team, Mohamed Ouahbi, has already won a world title as a coach, but the feat happened at the youth level. Now, the commander faces an unprecedented challenge in his career as he prepares the team to face France, this Thursday (9), in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The rise of the 49-year-old coach has attracted attention. Born in Belgium, son of Moroccan parents, Ouahbi is yet another example of the talent that Morocco manages to harness among members of its diaspora spread across Europe.

Before taking over the main team, Ouahbi led Morocco's under-20 team in the category's World Cup title campaign, held in Chile in October last year. Interestingly, the Moroccan team eliminated France in the semi-final of the competition.

08/07/2026

Amid tariffs, Trump government visits Brazilian cities to attract companies to the USA

08/07/2026

Ed Sheeran's exclusive show for England goes viral after players' apathetic reaction

08/07/2026

Amid tariffs, US embassy announces program for Brazilian companies to expand presence in the American market

---

CANAL NO WHATSAPP

His success at the youth level made his name emerge as one of the candidates to replace Walid Regragui, who left command of the national team after the African Cup of Nations in January.

Despite this, Ouahbi was not considered a favorite to take on the role.

The lack of experience as a head coach of professional teams weighed against him. Still, he received the opportunity and, since then, he has defied doubts about his ability to make the transition from the youth teams to the senior team.

Top Cifras

Toque agora.

1 Hey, Good Lookin' Dean Martin

2 Majestade Carlos A. Moyses

3 Fake Amor Melody

4 Maybe someday The Cure

A native of Schaerbeek, an industrial suburb located northeast of Brussels, Ouahbi began his career at the age of 21 as coach of Anderlecht's under-9 team. Over the years, he rose through the club's structure until becoming assistant coach to former Albania national team player Besnik Hasi, in 2016.

His time with the main team, however, was brief. After Hasi's dismissal, Ouahbi returned to Anderlecht's youth teams, where he worked on developing players such as current Belgian national team athletes Jeremy Doku and Youri Tielemans, as well as Bilal El Khannouss, now a member of the Moroccan national team's midfield.

"I have to say that he was not only an excellent youth coach, but also a man with very strong values and principles", said Jean Kindermans, responsible for the development of Anderlecht's youth teams for years, in an interview with the Belgian press.

World Cup: FIFA clarifies decision that annuls Balogun's suspension | CNN PRIME TIME

Ouahbi left the club in 2021, after 17 years of work. In a tribute, Anderlecht highlighted that "many great players were trained under Mo and went on to brilliant careers abroad".

The coach then moved to Al Fateh, in Saudi Arabia, where he worked as an assistant to Yannick Ferrera, a former Anderlecht teammate. Four years ago, he joined the Moroccan football federation to lead the youth teams.

"He is an extraordinary motivator," Kindermans added. "I think this is one of his greatest qualities today: knowing how to deal with all these superstars, something he never was as a player. To earn their respect, you need to have the ability to motivate, and he does that very well."

This Thursday's match against France will be Ouahbi's 11th game in charge of the senior team since his appointment in March. In the first ten engagements, Morocco won six and drew four, remaining undefeated.

The coach has been praised for the tactical changes implemented, considered fundamental for the team's evolution.

"He maintains his own style of play and does not adapt his team depending on the opponent. Today, when Morocco enters the field, it has its own identity", said former Moroccan national team striker Youssouf Hadji, currently a member of the coaching staff.

Brazil is eliminated from the World Cup by Norway | NOW CNN

Source: CNN