Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi says he has no concerns over the appointment of Argentine referee Facundo Tello for the Atlas Lions’ World Cup quarter-final against France.
Tello will take charge of Thursday’s last-eight encounter, with a place in the semi-finals at stake, but Ouahbi insists Morocco trust the officials and will focus on their performance on the pitch.
Speaking ahead of the match, the Morocco coach said the experience of the referee was the most important factor and expressed confidence in the officiating team.
“The referee has experience, and that is what we want,” Ouahbi said. “We are calm in this aspect, and the referees are doing their duty.”
The appointment of Tello comes after refereeing decisions became a talking point during the knockout stages of the tournament, particularly regarding the use of yellow cards.
Ouahbi addressed the issue while reflecting on Morocco’s previous match against Canada, saying he felt the overall standard of refereeing was good but questioned the speed at which some cautions were issued.
“Against Canada, the refereeing was good, except for the yellow cards being shown quickly,” he said.
The Morocco coach also pointed to differences in France’s Round of 16 match against Paraguay, where the French players expressed frustration over the level of physical contact allowed during the game.
“In France against Paraguay, it was not the same,” he said. “We know that yellow cards have an impact.”
Disciplinary concerns have become part of the build-up to the quarter-final, with both teams monitoring their players’ situations before the meeting in Boston.
Several Morocco players received yellow cards during their victory over Canada, while France were involved in an appeal process after Michael Olise was booked during their 1-0 win over Paraguay.
The French Football Federation requested FIFA review Olise’s caution, arguing that the incident did not deserve a booking.
However, FIFA rejected the appeal, meaning the Bayern Munich winger will enter the Morocco match one yellow card away from suspension.
Should France progress and Olise receive another booking, he would miss a potential semi-final.
Despite the disciplinary issues surrounding both teams, Ouahbi has insisted Morocco will not allow external factors to distract them from their objective.
The Atlas Lions are preparing for another major World Cup challenge after reaching this stage of the competition, continuing their impressive rise on the global stage.
Morocco made history in 2022 by becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final and are now aiming to repeat that achievement.
Standing in their way are France, one of the tournament favourites, who are seeking another deep run under coach Didier Deschamps.
With the quarter-final expected to be a tightly contested encounter, Ouahbi’s message is that Morocco remain focused on the football rather than the officials.
The match will be played on Thursday at 21:00 Moroccan time, with the winner securing a place in the World Cup semi-finals.
