Only 70 seconds had elapsed when the Atlas Lions struck first as Ismael Saibari latched onto Braham Díaz's lofted pass over the top before emphatically firing into the top-left hand corner.
It was far from a straightforward three points though as Scotland posed many problems, most notably having two penalty appeals waved away but the goal from the Bayern Munich-bound striker proved to be the difference.
The victory capped an ideal start to their campaign, having impressed in their opening draw against Brazil, and knowing a draw or a win over Haiti will be enough to book their spot in the knockout stages.
Moroccan mission accomplished
While not as expansive as they were in their impressive first-half display against Brazil, Morocco showed a different side of their game against the Tartan Army who failed to register a shot on target which is a credit to the Atlas Lions stubborn defence.
Ouahbi underlined the importance of taking maximum points to take a major step towards finishing top of the group.
“The bottom line is that we are very happy because we got the three points which was the primary objective,” the Belgium-born boss said.
“I think we were pretty good throughout the whole match and we controlled the match well.
“It is true that when you don’t score the second goal, you end up having to defend against their very intense style of long balls and crosses into the box but I’m very satisfied with the performance.”
The 49-year-old adds how he was impressed with how his side dealt with Scotland’s renewed purpose in the second period.
“I think we controlled the game very well,” he stated.
“Perhaps at the end of the first-half, there was a moment of uncertainty and that moment was due to our structure because we began to lose some patience.
“When they put long balls in, you have to press in a certain way so they don’t get too close to our area but at the same time, we can’t press them with our midfielders because we could get overrun in the second balls.”
Saibari has been the talisman of the Atlas Lions’ World Cup campaign thus far, netting two goals in as many matches with both ruthless finishes playing a pivotal role in their strong start to the tournament.
Ouahbi discusses the importance of the 25-year-old in their attacking play.
“When I came in, I said to myself I need to find a structure where we have the best Moroccan players on the field and he fits that,” he said.
“There are other strikers who are here and ready to take his place if needed as we have a group of good players.”
Looking ahead to Haiti test
A meeting with Haiti in Atlanta in their final game now provides Morocco with a perfect opportunity to secure a favourable round of 32 clash.
Despite having qualification all but secured, Ouahbi is not taking the game for granted following two ‘difficult’ group stage matches.
“When you play in the World Cup, every match is complicated,” explained the ex-Anderlecht youth coach.
“That’s also part of the charm of the World Cup - you face opponents who pose different problems and styles.
“We have four points with one game left so we are going to want to win this match to qualify so I will put together the best possible team.
“We will see the players’ freshness and choose the best possible team to win this match.”
