The opening quarter-final match of the tournament features Morocco taking on France, creating a captivating showdown. Mohamed Ouahbi’s team, the sole African representative left in the competition, is eager to secure a place in the semi-finals for the second time in a row. More insights are provided by Osasu Obayiuwana.
Over the past sixty years, Morocco has set numerous performance benchmarks for African teams in World Cup history. They were the first nation to qualify directly for the tournament, reaching the finals in Mexico in 1970. They returned to the World Cup in 1986, becoming the first African side to advance to the round of 16, and made an impressive run to the semi-finals in Qatar last year.
Even if they do not replicate their 2022 achievement and fall to France on Thursday, Morocco has already made history by becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals in successive World Cups.
“The general feeling, amongst Moroccans, is pride and contentment in this team,” remarks Amine El Amri, a football journalist based in Casablanca who has been monitoring the public’s sentiment towards the team’s performance. “Our main objective before the tournament was to reach the quarter-finals, especially considering the context of a managerial change with the departure of Walid Regragui and the appointment of Mohamed Ouahbi. The victory over the Netherlands has solidified Ouahbi’s reputation as a reliable coach. Many doubts surrounding him were dispelled after that match.
“The main goal before the competition was to reach the quarter-finals, given the context, given the change of manager, with the departure of Walid Regragui and the coming of Mohamed Ouahbi. I think the victory over the Netherlands cemented the reputation of Ouahbi as a trustworthy coach. Many doubts about him were cleared up after that match. “Beating Canada in the way we did, despite having a very difficult first half, has also added to that confidence. You have to be in Casablanca, in Marrakech, in every city and little town, to just measure how happy people are [with the team]. Our Saturday night was crazy – no one slept.”
In club news, Fulham has announced the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa as their new head coach on a three-year contract. Arbeloa will be hoping to foster a more harmonious environment than the one he encountered at Real Madrid. Here are the details.
Alvaro Arbeloa has officially become Fulham’s head coach under a three-year agreement.
The 43-year-old former Spanish international, who concluded last season leading his former club Real Madrid, takes over from Marco Silva, who recently left for Benfica following the end of his contract.
“It is a real honour for me to be embarking on this new stage at Fulham FC, the oldest club in London. “I feel a great sense of responsibility and I’m deeply grateful to Mr (Shahid) Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League. “I am really looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere at Craven Cottage with Fulham fans.” he stated.
“I feel a profound sense of responsibility and am extremely thankful to Mr. (Shahid) Khan and Tony Khan for the trust they have placed in me with Fulham in the Premier League.
“Alvaro was an original candidate who built an exceptional case through our meetings in June to become our next Head Coach, and it quickly became quite clear that he was – and is – the right choice. “I am delighted that Alvaro has accepted the challenge to push Fulham forward, and I have no doubt that our squad, staff and fans will resonate with what his appointment means for the present and future of our club.”
Shahid Khan, co-owner of Fulham, expressed, “Alvaro was a leading candidate who presented an outstanding case during our meetings in June, quickly proving that he was the right choice for our next Head Coach.
“Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious. “He has spent quality time around the best players, clubs and methods in the game, experiences which will serve him well here at Fulham.”
He added: “Alvaro is, by his own admission, very ambitious.
“His experiences around elite players, clubs, and methodologies in football will greatly benefit him here at Fulham.”
Hello everyone. Welcome to a day we haven’t experienced in four weeks – a day without World Cup football! It’s time to finally tackle that stack of dishes in the sink, dust off the surfaces, and organize that sock drawer. Alternatively, you could just sit and stare blankly at the screen until the quarter-finals commence on Thursday, or engage in discussions about it all right here.
We now know all the quarter-finalists, following an eventful day typical of the World Cup, characterized by thrilling matches accompanied by complaints and claims of favoritism towards prominent teams and players. This was followed by a frustrating 0-0 draw, leading to a penalty shootout where the team that squandered numerous clear chances in 120 minutes ultimately faced defeat. Congratulations to Switzerland, who reached their first quarter-final in 72 years, and to Argentina, while commiserations to Colombia and Egypt.
Here’s the schedule for the quarter-finals:
9 July: France vs. Morocco (Boston, 4pm local/9pm BST/6am 10 July AEST)
10 July: Spain vs. Belgium (Los Angeles, 12pm local/8pm BST/5am 11 July AEST)
11 July: Norway vs. England (Miami, 5pm local/10pm BST/7am 12 July AEST)
12 July: Argentina vs. Switzerland (Kansas, 8pm local/2am BST/11am AEST)
In other news, yesterday’s reports included:
- World Cup 2026
- World Cup
- US sports
