Morocco is not interested in premature praise for their World Cup journey. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi made this clear ahead of their quarter-final clash against France on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The match is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France ended Morocco's historic run. This time, Morocco enters as a confident contender, not a surprise outsider.
"We will take stock at the end of the tournament," Ouahbi told reporters. "The bonus is to win the World Cup. This is how we have come this far and we will go further."
France, the 2018 world champions and 2022 finalists, advanced past Paraguay with a 1-0 win from a Kylian Mbappe penalty. Mbappe has scored seven goals in the tournament.
France boasts a formidable forward line including Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola.
Morocco advanced from their group and eliminated the Netherlands and co-hosts Canada to reach this stage.
"The key is to play the match without regrets," Ouahbi added. "We have to play at 2,000 per cent and not think what we have done up to now is not bad."