Mohamed Ouahbi welcomed Morocco’s 2-0 victory over Gabon on Friday night, September 25, at the Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, describing the opening result in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as positive while acknowledging that his side still has work to do.
“We are satisfied because we wanted to win and get the three points. We also wanted to dominate the game and we managed to do that. Of course, we need to improve in certain areas of the game and also in terms of the tempo,” the Morocco coach said after the match.
Ouahbi also pointed to the changes in tempo during the game, as Gabon managed to disrupt Morocco’s rhythm at certain stages.
“We fell into the trap of the changes in the pace of the game. The opponent tried to disrupt the tempo,” he explained.
The coach nevertheless highlighted several positives from the opening game, notably the involvement of younger players and the return of several players who had missed the 2026 World Cup.
“We have to keep going. We created a lot of chances and also gave young players playing time, while some important players who were absent from the World Cup returned. The overall assessment is positive, with humility, and we have to keep working,” Ouahbi said.
The three points put the national team in a good position at the start of its qualifying campaign, but the Atlas Lions will quickly have to turn their attention to their next test.
Ouahbi’s side will face Lesotho on Tuesday, September 29, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in the second round of the qualifiers.
