Diaz insists Morocco won’t be intimidated by France

Morocco enters this first World Cup quarterfinal as the last remaining African team, carrying the hopes of more than a billion people from the continent. 

There are still some players in this team who were part of the history-making team that reached the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago, something Diaz sees as a big factor...

"We also have experience and we've also played in big matches before. I trust my team, and if you see our lineup and the players on the bench, I think we have enough experience all around to win the game."

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Diaz has also spoken about the mindset of the Moroccan team, and says their performance against Canada in the previous round also shows that they don’t give up, and that’s something they are taking into tonight’s game.

Rivalry is also going to reign supreme in this game, as Diaz is set to come up against his Real Madrid teammates Aurélien Tchouaméni and Kylian Mbappe. The Atlas Lions attacker says there will be no love lost.

Diaz also mentioned the importance of having an influential captain like Achraf Hakimi in their national team, who is now playing in his third World Cup at the age of 27.

"I only have good words for our captain. He is the best right back in the world and shows it every time. It's a pleasure to play with him and be a friend of his. I'm so happy to have a player of his quality in our national team."