TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The duel between France vs Morocco in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup is the match to look forward to. The team nicknamed the Atlas Lions, which made a surprise by making it to the top four after getting rid of the world’s big teams, will challenge the defending champions.
The two teams are scheduled to compete at the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar, on Thursday morning WIB, starting at 02.00. Morocco will have the full support of supporters from Arab and African countries in the stadium, as has been the case since the group phase.
Morocco, which was not the favorite to win, turned out to be stunning. They made history as the first Arab and African country to reach the semifinals of the World Cup. On their way to the last four of the 2022 World Cup, they only conceded once and that was because of an own goal.
They advanced to the last 16 as winners of Group F after beating Belgium 2-0 and Canada 1-2, as well as a goalless draw against Croatia, who had just been beaten by Argentina in the semifinals.
The surprises created by Walid Reragui’s team continued in the knockout stages. Hakim Ziyech and co were able to get rid of Spain via a penalty shootout 3-0 after holding a goalless draw in 120 minutes of play.
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Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri scores the first goal in the 2022 World Cup Quarter-Final between Morocco vs Portugal at Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar, December 10, 2022. REUTERS/Molly Darlington
To reach the semifinals, Morocco got rid of Portugal which was strengthened by superstar Cristiano Ronaldo with a narrow score of 1-0. Youssef En-Nesyri scored a header from a 2.78-meter jump, surpassing Ronaldo’s 2.5-meter jump when playing for Juventus.
Will France be Morocco’s next victim at the 2022 World Cup? That is a question that will be answered in a matter of hours.
France, who came to Qatar with the status of defending champion, appeared promising. Didier Deschamps’ side immediately made sure of qualification for the last 16 with two early wins, after beating Australia 4-1 and Denmark 2-1. However, in the final match of the group phase, they surprisingly lost 1-0 against Tunisia. Even so, Klylian Mbappe and his colleagues still qualified for the knockout phase as Group D winners.
Le Blues into the quarter-finals by getting rid of Poland 3-1. Next, they thrashed England 2-1 to advance to the semifinals.
France scored a total of 11 goals on their way to the last four, the two players who contributed the most goals in this team were Mbappe with five goals and Olivier Giroud with four goals. The sharpness of the striker duo seems to be a threat that must be anticipated by the Moroccan national team.
Not to mention, Antoine Griezmann who also looks good in his new, more drawn-in role. He has recorded three assists, two of which were when France beat England in the quarter-finals.
The Moroccan coach admits that he has not prepared a specific plan to get rid of the danger that arises from Mbappe. Because, according to Reragugui, France has many good players, not only the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) striker.
“I’m not going to try to devise any special tactical plan to deal with Kylian,” said Reragugui.
“France also have other good players. (Antoine) Griezmann is at the top of his game and is playing very well as a link between the lines. Ousmane Dembele is also the perfect complement to Mbappe on the other wing,” he said.
Also Read: Walid Reragugui: The Moroccan National Team Is Not Satisfied Only Until the 2022 World Cup Semifinals
Morocco national team coach Walid Reragugui. REUTERS
“If you only focus on Mbappe, then that is a big mistake. They are world champions with world-class players and they will play with everything they have. We just need to focus on what we can do to cause France problems.”
With full support at the Al Bayt Stadium, Morocco will get an injection of motivation to continue their surprise at the Qatar World Cup.
“We are now a team that everyone likes because we have proven that even if we don’t have a lot of talent and money, we can succeed,” said Reragugui.
On the one hand, France will enter the field honoring its opponents who have eliminated the giants. They will also compete in front of a crowd that will support Morocco even more.
“They will benefit from huge support, I have seen that. We know it will be a very noisy game and we have to be ready for that,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
French player Kylian Mbappe and his team-mates warm up during training ahead of the 2022 World Cup semifinal against Morocco at Al Sadd SC Stadium, Doha, Qatar, December 12, 2022. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
This match will also be peppered with the battle of two PSG stars, Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi who are strengthening the Moroccan defense now.
England succeeded in taming Mbappe by doubling their strength on the left sector of the field. Morocco will probably do the same. However, this will reduce Hakimi and Ziyech’s explosive power if they are busy taming Mbappe.
“At this level it’s always a matter of details,” said Deschamps. “Quality alone is not enough, but in this squad there is also mental strength and a bit of experience.”
Morocco is believed to appear carefree because win or lose they are considered heroes everywhere, especially in their country. In contrast, France shouldered the burden of becoming the first country after Brazil to successfully defend the World Cup 60 years ago.
Estimated line-up
Prancis (4-2-3-1): Hugo Lloris; Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe; Olivier Giroud
Maroko (4-3-3): Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi, Jawad Yamiq, Achraf Dari, Yahia Attiat-Allah; Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah; Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal
Next, predictions for the match France vs Morocco and possible scenarios.
