‘My preference is to finish ahead of Brazil’ — Morocco boss sets lofty goal for African champions

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi has boldly targeted top spot in their World Cup group, insisting his side is completely focused on finishing ahead of five-time world champions Brazil.

The African powerhouse heads into their final group stage fixture with their sights set firmly on victory rather than worrying about potential knockout round opponents.

The North Africans sit in an excellent position with four points from their opening two matches following an impressive 1-1 opening draw against Brazil and a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Scotland.

A win over an already-eliminated Haiti side on Wednesday would lift the Atlas Lions to seven points, giving them a genuine opportunity to top the group depending on the result between Brazil and Scotland in Miami.

Despite media speculation surrounding a potential round-of-32 clash against heavyweights like France, Argentina, or the Netherlands, Ouahbi dismissed the outside noise during his Tuesday press conference, stating, “My preference is to beat Haiti and finish ahead of Brazil in the group.

“There is talk we might play next against the Netherlands, but it could also be Japan, but even then France or Argentina, but it is not anything we are taking into consideration.”

While Morocco’s qualification for the next round is highly probable, Ouahbi warned his squad to remain patient and completely focused against a motivated Haiti team looking to salvage pride.

The manager brushed off heavy criticism from local reporters regarding his side’s lack of goals and his tactical decision to play without a traditional centre forward in the opening fixtures.

Confident in the versatility of his squad, the tactician explained that his lineup choices always depend on the tactical profile of the opponent, vowing to field his strongest possible team to secure the victory needed to make African football history in the group standings.