Brahim Diaz was on press-conference duty prior to the quarter-final against France
Morocco’s fleet-footed creator already has four assists at the tournament
With Ismael Saibari injured, Diaz is ready to shoulder more attacking responsibility
Brahim Diaz sees passes that others simply cannot. With four assists to his name already at the , the playmaker has shone brightly so far, though his country’s on Thursday pits him against two players who can say the same and more. Lining up for Les Bleus will be Michael Olise on one flank – the player one ahead of Diaz atop the tournament's assist chart – and Kylian Mbappe, his Real Madrid team-mate, on the other.
In Diaz’s case, his inventive spark has helped Ismael Saibari chalk up three goals at these finals though the Bayern Munich new boy is now ruled out through injury. Without him, Diaz and his team-mates will have to raise their level once more if they are to overcome the side that ended their dream run to the last four in Qatar four years ago.
“I always take responsibility,” Díaz said in the pre-match press conference, drawing on his experience gained at Madrid. “I thrive on pressure. These are the matches every player wants to be involved in and I’m ready. I feel confident ahead of tomorrow’s game and I know we’ll give it our best shot.”
That underlying confidence was echoed by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who stressed that pragmatism would be crucial against an unbeaten France side. “Our team spirit is incredible,” he said. “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.”
At , which has been sold out for every fixture so far, the crowd will see Morocco’s 26-year-old creative fulcrum come up against two of his Madrid colleagues in midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who is close to full fitness, and the red-hot Mbappe, who has already hit seven goals at the tournament. “They’re extraordinary players and wonderful people,” Diaz said. “Tomorrow, 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.”
Morocco will likely need big performances from key individuals if they are to engineer an upset. Vastly experienced goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was their penalty shoot-out hero against the Netherlands in the last 32, while Achraf Hakimi – Mbappe’s close friend – will once again be central to the Atlas Lions' hopes. “I can’t speak highly enough of him,” Diaz said of his captain. “He’s our skipper and the best right-back in the world.” It was Hakimi who encouraged Diaz to celebrate joyously with the Morocco supporters after the Round of 16 victory over Canada, in which the attacking midfielder registered two assists.
“My team-mates make everything easier because we’re a tight-knit group,” Díaz said. “We’re coming up against one of the favourites tomorrow, but we’re here because we can compete with France and we’re among the contenders, too. We want to win tomorrow. We’ll give it everything we’ve got and perform to our best.”
Much may depend on Diaz’s ability to get on the ball and affect the play. Having accumulated a score of 7.02 for creativity in the , he has underlined throughout the tournament just how influential he can be. Asked whether another assist might be on the cards against France, however, the Morocco playmaker was quick to share the credit with his colleagues. This is a team effort and it will be again in Boston. Les Bleus have been warned.
Sources: FIFA Official
