Wahbi: The real reward is the World Cup.

Mohamed Wahbi, the coach of the Moroccan national team, confirmed that the upcoming match against the French national team, scheduled for Thursday in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, is completely different from the encounter between the two teams in the 2022 World Cup, emphasizing that the "Lions" are focused on continuing their journey with great confidence and ambition.

Wahbi said during the press conference preceding the match: "Comparing this match to what happened in the 2022 World Cup is not valid, as each match has its own context and story. Tomorrow's match will not be like the 2022 match. We have a different team, and France also has a different team than it did four years ago. We must trust what we have achieved so far and believe in our ability to deliver a great match and achieve victory."

The national coach stressed that the Moroccan team does not feel it has achieved its goal merely by reaching the quarter-finals, saying: "I always say, the evaluation comes at the end of the tournament. I will never be satisfied with what we have achieved as long as we can achieve more. We have discussed this within the technical staff and with the players, and we want to win and will do everything we can to achieve it. We will not listen to those who say that what we have achieved is good, or that it is okay if we lose because France is the favorite."

He added: "We must approach tomorrow's match with the mentality of a team fighting to reach the semi-finals. I do not like the idea that what has been achieved so far is good, and that everything that comes after is just an additional reward... There are no rewards; the only real reward is winning the World Cup."

Regarding the players' health status, Wahbi clarified that all players are ready for the match except for Ismail Sabiri, saying: "We will choose the players who are 100 percent ready, and all players are available except for Ismail Sabiri, as tomorrow's match comes too early for him, but I hope he will be ready for the remainder of the tournament."

Wahbi emphasized that the Moroccan team does not change its preparation style based on the identity of the opponent, saying: "Our approach must be the same in every match. The level of daily discipline, analysis, and technical meetings remains the same whether we face France or Burundi in a friendly match weeks ago."

He added: "We must always maintain the same motivation and stick to our preparation habits so that we enter every match with the utmost calmness and confidence."

Regarding the appointment of the referee for the Morocco-France match, Wahbi expressed his satisfaction, confirming: "The referee for tomorrow's match has great experience, and this is important for us. We are calm and reassured in this regard, and in general, we must accept the referees' decisions."