Morocco Draws 1-1 With Ecuador in New Coach's Debut

In Madrid on a Wednesday evening, Morocco's new coach Mohamed Quahbi made his debut on the touchline, inheriting a program in transition just months before a World Cup. The match against Ecuador — a friendly in name but a test of character in practice — ended 1-1, with Morocco's equalizer arriving only in stoppage time after a penalty miss and a VAR disallowance had prolonged their suffering. It was the kind of opening chapter that reveals more about a team's spirit than its tactics, and the questions it raised about defensive solidity will linger as the tournament approaches.