France asserted its status as the favorite and defeated Morocco 2-0 to reach the final of the Qatar World Cup. After triumphing on Wednesday afternoon (14) at Al Bayt Stadium, the French national team is now focusing its attention on Argentina, its opponent in the grand final next Sunday (18), where a new three-time World Cup champion will be crowned.
In this Wednesday’s semifinal, football presented a matchup that blends sport with contemporary history: France against one of its former colonies. Between 1906 and 1956, Moroccan territory was a French protectorate. The VIP box at Al Bayt Stadium featured the presence of President Emmanuel Macron, who, before the match kicked off, formally apologized for “the French occupation in several African countries throughout the 20th century.”
On the field, the Moroccans had two players who were officially born in France but chose to wear the red jersey and honor their parents’ origins: Romain Saïss (defender) and Sofiane Boufal (midfielder).
With 4 minutes into the game, Théo Hernández picked up a rebound from a deflected ball in defense and volleyed it into the net, silencing Al Bayt Stadium. It was France’s first goal, which came quicker than the vast majority of the crowd expected (about 95% of the spectators present supported Morocco).
In the 2nd half, coach Walid Regragui’s team executed several triangles, easily reaching the French area, but failed to convert their chances. Restricted to defense, France relied on Mbappé’s speed to launch counterattacks. If the French star couldn’t create better opportunities, it was due to the strong marking he faced.
At 33 minutes, Mbappé finally made a beautiful play, shot on goal, the ball was deflected, and it fell perfectly for substitute Muani to complete into the net: 2-0. Interestingly, Muani entered the field just 40 seconds before scoring the goal that sealed the match.
At the final whistle, thousands of Moroccans applauded their team, even without the long-desired victory over the former colonizers. They had already gone further than the entire country expected. The World Cup will indeed be decided by two teams that have been labeled as favorites from the start.
With the victory in the semifinals, France qualifies for the final against Argentina, where a new three-time world champion will be crowned, and perhaps the best player of the tournament. Meanwhile, the tenacious Morocco will return to the field a day earlier to compete with Croatia for third place.
Source: Carlos Molinari / Agência Brasil