Morocco’s coach Ouahbi urged his players to hold their heads high after their World Cup quarter-final exit to France, stressing that while pride in their effort is deserved, honest self-assessment is essential for progress, BBC reports.
“We gave our all and our best, but we must take stock of the situation. To move forward it’s essential to be objective and self-critical,” Ouahbi told reporters.
He acknowledged the gap between the teams on the day, particularly in a dominant first half for France.
“From kickoff, France controlled much of the game and rarely allowed us to threaten their goal. They had a lot of possession and caused problems on the flanks and through the middle,” he said.
“When we had the ball our transitions weren’t good enough; we needed to run more and to be sharper. That allowed them to settle into a comfort zone.”
