Ouahbi ignores praise for Morocco until they 'win the World Cup'

[p]The game on ‌Thursday is a rematch of the 2022 World ‌Cup semi-final, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a] ended [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a]'s historic run in Qatar, but ‌this time the North Africans are no longer the ‌surprise outsiders but a confident side aiming for the title.[/p][p][b]"We will take stock at the end of the tournament," [/b]Ouahbi told ‌a press conference. [b]"I will not say anything ⁠now because we can ‌have more. We are not going to listen to people who ​will say 'what you have done up to now is wonderful'.[/b][/p][p][b]"France are favourites, but we will do everything ​possible to win tomorrow and qualify for the semi-finals,"[/b] Ouahbi said. [b]"I don't like this feeling 'we have done well to ⁠get here and ​all the rest is bonus'. No, the bonus is to win the World Cup. This is how we have come this far, and we will go further."[/b][/p][embed guid="8d08835c-18fb-4546-9fbf-e252161dc1db" url="https://x.com/FIFAcom/status/2074523844950315436?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]France, world champions in ‌2018 and finalists in 2022, edged past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a] in the round of 16 with a scrappy 1-0 win courtesy of a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] penalty. The France captain has scored seven goals in the tournament, second behind Argentina's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a] on eight.[/p][p]Mbappe, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dembele-ousmane/zsMC2Ec0/"]Ousmane Dembele[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barcola-bradley/lhGD3RgS/"]Bradley Barcola[/a] provide France with one of the most dangerous forward lines ever seen at the World Cup.[/p][p]Morocco eased through ‌their group stage, before knocking out the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] and ​co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a], and confirming their status as serious title ‌contenders.[/p][p][b]"It is not a question of assets,"[/b] Ouahbi said.[b] "The Moroccan side is evolving as is France. The key is to play the match without regrets. There are things to improve tomorrow. We have to play at ⁠2,000% and not think what ⁠we have done up ‌to now is not bad."[/b][/p][infobox id="4ccc1b10-d68f-4c97-bcf4-5e613c17c2e3" /]