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It took Ismael Saibari four minutes to score the first goal. A corner from Bilal El Khannouss, delivered from the left, found Saibari at the far post. He headed it home cleanly. By the 24th minute he had scored again, capitalising on a defensive error after sustained pressure. Morocco were two goals up before the match had fully warmed up. The final score was 4-0. Soufiane Rahimi added a third from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Azzedine Ounahi was fouled inside the area, and Ayoub El Kaabi completed the scoring in the 86th minute. Madagascar's El Hadary Raheriniaina was sent off for foul and abusive language.
The result was expected. Madagascar are ranked 143rd in the world and were outclassed in every measurable dimension. What the match offered Morocco was not a test but a tune-up: minutes for players who need match sharpness, combinations to refine, a final home appearance before the squad departs for North America. The crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which had last hosted football of continental significance when Sundowns won the CAF Champions League final here eight days ago, gave Ouahbi a warm reception in his first appearance in front of his own supporters since taking charge in March.
Saibari and the Players Making the Case
The most significant subplot of the evening was Saibari himself. The PSV Eindhoven midfielder scored 19 goals for his club this season, as confirmed by Yahoo Sports in their match report. He has been linked with Bayern Munich. He was also one of the three Morocco players who issued public apologies in May after liking Senegalese players' AFCON celebration posts on Instagram. His two goals against Madagascar, in front of the home crowd, in a match where the atmosphere was supportive rather than hostile, represents the kind of performance that rebuilds the relationship between a player and his supporters after a moment of public controversy.
Noussair Mazraoui went close with a powerful strike that rebounded off the crossbar in the first half, confirming the depth of attacking intent across the squad. Achraf Hakimi, who was three days removed from winning the Champions League final with PSG on Saturday, was not involved on Tuesday. Morocco's depth allows Ouahbi to manage his most important players carefully, and Hakimi specifically will be needed fully rested for the World Cup rather than accumulated in preparation matches.
The Group and What Comes Next
Morocco face Norway in New Jersey on Sunday, June 7, in their final World Cup warm-up match before the tournament begins. It will be their most meaningful preparation test: Norway, with Erling Haaland leading the attack, represent a level of opposition that Madagascar cannot approximate. The match at the Sports Illustrated Stadium will tell Ouahbi considerably more about his squad's readiness than Tuesday's result could.
Morocco's World Cup group places them against Brazil on June 13, Scotland on June 20, and Haiti on June 25 in Group C. As the eighth-ranked nation in the world by FIFA's current standings, as confirmed by Sharjah24 in their match report, Morocco enter the tournament as genuine quarter-final contenders and the African nation with the most credible pathway to repeating the 2022 semi-final run. Brazil are the opening test. The 4-0 against Madagascar confirms the attacking options are available. Sunday against Norway will confirm whether the structure holds against opposition that can genuinely hurt them.
