Wehbe's first test between criticism and optimism

The final whistle of the first match in which Mohamed Wehbe led the Moroccan football team turned into the beginning of a wide discussion on social media platforms, where the opinions of fans and followers were divided between those who saw it as the beginning of a project worthy of patience and those who considered that the imbalances appeared early.

The team's friendly ended with a score of one goal, after a first half in which there was no offensive effectiveness. The Ecuadorian national team opened the scoring early in the second half, through striker John Eboa in the 48th minute. Wehbe's team was not able to change the balance until the 88th minute of the match, with a header by Nael El Aynaoui.

The “Atlas Lions” played their first match under the supervision of the national team, Mohamed Wehbe, after four years in which Walid Regragui led the national team, during which he penned one of the most beautiful pages of football history after leading Morocco to the semi-finals of the World Cup as the first Arab and African coach to achieve this achievement. He played a heated match in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, after which the title was awarded to Morocco.

A wide segment of the Moroccan public expressed their dissatisfaction with the image in which the national team appeared in the match, and highlighted that “a team of this level will not excel in the next World Cup.”

The presence of new names in the match was the focus of criticism from the fans, as many considered that the new defense line formed by Wehbe represented a vibration in the human structure. Players such as centre-backs Issa Diouf and Shadi Riyad have never played with each other, and the same is true for the midfield.

The comments also expressed that Wehbe was late in making the necessary changes. This made the performance weak and she expressed her dissatisfaction with the tactical lapses that the players continued to commit, considering that Mohamed Wehbe’s choices at the squad level were not successful. In addition to the difficulty in coming up with the ball under pressure, weak offensive activation, high and reverse pressure, and lack of concentration.

On the other hand, others considered that it was too early to judge the new coach; The circumstances of the match were different, and it was Wahbi’s first experience with the battalion, in addition to players who had never played a joint match.

The same group considered that Wehbe was trying to prepare for a new identity and a different style of playing. Therefore, the form in which the team appeared is considered good, especially since the Ecuadorian opponent, which had previously defeated teams the size of Argentina, is known for its strong tackles and the ferocity of its pressing style. Despite this, Wehbe did not emerge defeated. Rather, he struggled to achieve the goal of response.