The Atlas Lions’ path to this stage has been a little bumpy, but Mohamed Ouahbi’s side have shown quality and fighting spirit in abundance on their third consecutive World Cup appearance.
After starting with an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil, Morocco made sure of second place in Group C by downing Scotland 1-0 and then edging out Haiti 4-2.
In the Round of 32, Morocco came up against the Netherlands, where they needed a late header courtesy of Issa Diop to take the game to extra time and then penalties, where they prevailed.
Morocco then emerged victorious on penalties, before an Azzedine Ounahi brace and late Soufiane Rahimi goal sealed a comfortable 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16.
Diaz has expressed excitement and confidence for the clash in Boston, insisting they have what it takes to beat France.
Morocco can compete with France
“My teammates make everything easier because we’re a tight-knit group,” Diaz said as quoted by FIFA.com.
“We’re coming up against one of the favourites, but we’re here because we can compete with France and we’re among the contenders, too.
“We want to win. We’ll give it everything we’ve got and perform to our best.”
Diaz added: “They’re extraordinary players and wonderful people. However, we’ll be opponents and we all want to win.
"That’s all that matters. I have faith in my team and I know we’re going to put in a great performance.”
With top striker Ismael Saibari set to miss the game owing to injury, Diaz said of what will be expected of him: “I always take responsibility. I thrive on pressure. These are the matches every player wants to be involved in and I’m ready. I feel confident ahead of the game and I know we’ll give it our best shot.”
Morocco's approach to remain the same
Diaz's confidence was echoed by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who said: “Our team spirit is incredible. I feel that’s what makes all the difference in difficult moments.
“I don’t think it’s just about experience. We’ve seen experienced sides get knocked out throughout the tournament. It’ll be such a positive atmosphere to play in.”
He added: “Our approach must always remain the same if we want to produce our best performances.
“The way we work every day, whether it’s analysing matches or preparing for them, does not change, whether we are facing France in a World Cup quarter-final or Burundi in a friendly.”
Les Bleus emerged victorious when the two nations met in the Qatar 2022 semi-finals, with the Atlas Lions out for revenge as they target a second straight appearance in the World Cup last four.
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