France and Morocco are set to lock horns in the semifinals of the FIFA World cup 2022 on Thursday. While Morocco, Africa's first World Cup semifinalists and are on a history-making run. On the other hand, France, the defending champions will want to retain their title.
It's worth noting that the match has cultural and political connotations as Morocco was under French rule from 1912-1956 and the outcome is far from the foregone conclusion many would presume by looking at the names of the players and the rankings of the teams.
Morocco has exceeded all expectations in Qatar by beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and then eliminating European powerhouses Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase to reach the semifinals.
"I was asked if we can win the World Cup and I said, Why not? We can dream, it doesn't cost you anything to have dreams,'" said Walid Regragui, Morocco's French-born coach.
"European countries are used to winning the World Cup and we have played top sides, we have not had an easy run.
Anyone playing us is going to be afraid of us now.”
Even France?
The defending champions have just passed their own big test by coming through a tough quarterfinal match against England, on a rare occasion when Mbappé was kept quiet.
No player has scored more than his five goals and it won't be easy for Mbappé to add to that tally against Morocco, which has yet to concede a goal to an opposition player at this World Cup — or indeed in its nine games since Regragui was hired in
August.
France starts as the big favorite, though, because of its star quality and experience.
In Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, a forward who has reinvented himself as a midfield playmaker at the World Cup, the team has two of the World Cup's leading players while Olivier Giroud's winner against England took him to four goals — the same as Messi.
They have attacking threats from everywhere and that intangible quality of just knowing how to get the job done.
France center-back Raphael Varane said there will be no danger of complacency among his teammates in a game against the world's No. 22-ranked team.
"We have enough experience in the team to not fall into that trap," he said.
"We know Morocco isn't here by chance.
It is up to us, as experienced players, to make sure we are all prepared for another battle.
The only goal allowed was an own goal by its defender, Nayef Aguero, against Canada in the group stage.
Morocco might have some injuries now — Aguero and fellow center-back Romain Saiss could be missing Wednesday — but Regragui's game plan relies on team shape and discipline more than any specific individual.
"We recovered well.
We have good doctors and every day we get good news.
No one is ruled out and no one is for certain," Regragui told reporters on Tuesday.
"We'll use the best team possible."
The Morocco coach said his team is ready to “change the mentality" of Africa, and he's told his players not to settle for anything less than the top prize.
"We're going to fight to move on, for the African nations, for the Arab world," he said.
Regragui said defender Achraf Hakimi is looking forward to a "nice duel" with Mbappé, his teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, but added that France doesn't just depend on its star player.
"Well have to block Kylian, but not just him.
Hakimi is super motivated to beat his friend," he said.
The key to winning the game, he said, will be Morocco's "team spirit" and the support of the crowd at Al Bayt Stadium, where French President Emmanuel Macron is set to be in attendance along with tens of thousands of green-and-red-clad Morocco fans.
It will feel like a home game for Morocco's players, which might level things up even more.
"We have the best fans in the world along with Argentines and Brazilians.
They're people who come from anywhere in the world to support their country," Regragui said.
"We're going to play like being at home and that's the most important thing in the world.
