Isa Diop: We will not exaggerate in the celebrations.

Issa Diop, defender of the Moroccan national football team, called for maintaining focus and not getting carried away by the euphoria of qualification, following the "Atlas Lions" victory over the Netherlands in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, securing a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Diop, who scored the equalizing goal in stoppage time, expressed his great happiness with this achievement; however, he emphasized that the team's journey in the tournament is still in its early stages, and the upcoming challenges will be more difficult.

The "Atlas Lions" defender stated in comments after the match: "It was a closed match, and each team was waiting for the other. In the end, the result smiled upon us."

The Atlas Lion added while talking about his goal: "I moved forward in the final moments, and I don't even know what I was doing there. I tried to exploit the space and scored the goal. Shams al-Din Talbi has great quality in passing."

The same speaker confirmed that the team will not abandon its identity, explaining: "We have players with high technical skills, and we trust our style of play. We will not change our approach because it has brought us success."

Diop concluded with a message calling for calm, saying: "This is just the Round of 16. If we are a great team, we must go far in this tournament; but we should not over-celebrate, as there is still much ahead of us."

The Moroccan national team is preparing to face Canada in the next round, seeking to continue its journey in the 2026 World Cup.