Morocco legend Mustapha Hadji believes the Atlas Lions have the quality to defeat Brazil and Argentina but has identified France, Spain and England as the national teams that would pose the toughest challenges.
The former Moroccan international made the assessment in a video interview with Lakoora, which is scheduled to be published later, while discussing Morocco’s standing among the world’s leading football nations under coach Mohamed Ouahbi.
Hadji, who represented Morocco between 1994 and 2002, believes Brazil no longer possess the same intimidating quality associated with the generations led by Ronaldo Nazário, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.
“Brazil no longer owns the team that it knew in the late nineties and the beginning of this century. It no longer owns Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Rivaldo,” he said.
“I see that it is not a terrifying team at the present time. It has become an ordinary team that Morocco can surpass.”
He also questioned Argentina’s strength, arguing that the team’s dependence on Lionel Messi had left a significant gap following the end of the forward’s international career.
“As for Argentina, it lost 90% of its strength after the retirement of Lionel Messi, who was doing everything from goals to assists,” Hadji said, adding that he believed Morocco could also defeat the South American side.
France, Spain and England pose bigger tests
When asked to identify three teams capable of beating Morocco, Hadji named France, Spain and England.
“The French national team is very difficult, as is Spain, even though we beat them in 2022, and the third team is England,” he said.
His assessment reflects the challenge of sustaining Morocco’s progress against established international powers, despite the Atlas Lions’ growing reputation following their historic run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Hadji also pointed to central defence as an area of concern for Ouahbi’s side, suggesting that the team must address potential weaknesses at the heart of its back line as it seeks to compete with the strongest national teams.
For Morocco, the challenge will be to translate its progress on the international stage into consistent performances against elite opposition. Hadji’s comments underline his confidence in the team’s attacking potential while raising questions about whether its defensive structure is strong enough to match that ambition.
