Former Super Eagles defender Juwon Oshaniwa has explained what Morocco must do to advance to the knockout rounds at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Atlas Lions face Haiti in their final Group C game at the Mundial, knowing that they will book their place in the Round of 32 if they avoid defeat in that encounter next Wednesday.
Morocco have picked up four points from their opening two matches as they continue their quest to replicate their historic 2022 run, where they reached the semi-finals in Qatar and became the first African country to achieve that feat since the inception of the World Cup.
While the African side were very impressive in their opening group game against Brazil – taking the lead through Ismael Saibari before Vinicius Junior equalized for the five-time world champions, they were largely underwhelming in their second game against Scotland.
Despite their below-par performance, Saibari’s early goal – his second of the tournament, was enough to seal a 1-0 win and put them on the brink of qualification for the next round.
Oshaniwa explains how Morocco can avoid shock World Cup result against Haiti
Morocco now face Haiti in their final group game as strong favourites against a side ranked 87th in the FIFA World Rankings.
They must also win convincingly if they want a chance of finishing top of the group and potentially setting up a knockout-round clash against the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden.
Reflecting on Morocco’s performances so far, Super Eagles 2014 World Cup star Juwon Oshaniwa praised their desire and determination in both of their matches at the tournament.
“Morocco has done very well. It was a difficult game, but football is not played outside the pitch or on paper; it is played on the pitch”, the ex-Hearts defender said, via Footy-Africa.
“It’s something you have to go out there and prove. You need to show desire, demonstrate how much you want it, and put in the effort to secure the maximum three points, which they managed to do.
“Anyone coming to the World Cup knows there are no jokes and no push-over teams. Scotland are a good side, they beat Haiti in their opening game, but Morocco are also a fantastic team. They know what they are doing, what they want, and how to approach games. They are technically gifted and can go far in this tournament.”
Oshaniwa is of the opinion that Morocco have the quality in their squad to overcome Haiti comfortably in their next clash, given the calibre of players they have.
However, the former Hearts left-back warned them against underestimating the North American side and stressed that Morocco must maintain full focus, as there are no easy games at this level, especially with several top teams already dropping points.
“I think that if they stick to what they do best, considering the calibre of talent in that squad, they should be able to secure the maximum three points”, he continued.
“However, that does not mean it will be rosy or a walk in the park for them. They will still have to go out there and fight for those three points if they want to progress to the next round without headache.”
Morocco will advance to the next round with a point against Haiti in their final group game. However, they can top the group if they secure a win and Brazil fail to win their own clash against Scotland on Wednesday.
