Morocco ready for bruising encounter with Scotland
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi expects a "physical" battle against Scotland at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 12am CAT (SA, GMT+2).
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This will be the second meeting between the two teams at the World Cup after they squared off in the 1998 edition during the group stages which saw the Atlas LIons run out convincing 3-0 victors.
Ouahbi's side got their Group C campaign underway with a 1-1 draw against Brazil on 14 June, having taken the lead through Ismael Saibari (21') before Vinicius Junior (32') equalised for the Canarinho.
The North Africans are now unbeaten in their last six matches this year since the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, beating Paraguay (2-1), Burundi (5-0) and Madagascar (4-0), while drawing with Ecuador (1-1) and Norway (1-1).
Morocco are tied with the South American giants on one point, with the Scots two clear in top spot after registering their first win at the global showpiece since 1990.
Steve Clarke's side edged Haiti 1-0 on June 14 thanks to John McGinn's 28th-minute goal which was the third time they had won their opening match of the tournament.
Scotland lost their first two outings of 2026 against Japan (1-0) and Ivory Coast (1-0), but they bounced back with victories over Curacao (4-1) and Bolivia (4-1) to boost their confidence ahead of the global showpiece.
What was said:
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi
"We have one point and they have three. They are ahead of us and we have to do our best. It will be a hard match.
"We do not want to keep the same performance we had against Brazil. We want to improve. Every match is difficult in its own way. Internationally, there are no small teams, and our match against Brazil is not an end in itself.
"The Brazil match was tactical, tomorrow's clash will be physical. The match against Scotland will be different because they are quick with the ball. We have prepared the players to be ready."
Players to watch:
Scotland - Scott McTominay is the most recognisable player in the team and equally important. The 29-year-old midfielder has taken his game to the next level since joining Napoli from Manchester United in August 2024, winning the Serie A title in his first season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and being named Serie A Footballer of the Year for 2024-25 after scoring 12 league goals. He added another 10 in 2025-26 and took his international tally to 15 with his goal against Bolivia on 6 June.
Morocco - Brahim Diaz was the Atlas Lions' standout performer against Brazil, featuring for 65 minutes before being substituted. The 26-year-old winger managed three shots at goal, hitting the target once, while he provided the assist for Saibari's opener. Diaz completed all 19 of his passes and had 11 carries into the opposition half. He notched up his 15th international goal with his opener against Norway on 6 June.
Head-to-Head:
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