Eko Hot Blog reports that France ended Morocco’s World Cup dream on Wednesday as goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani gave the defending champions a 2-0 win in their semifinal clash and set up a showdown on Sunday with Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
France led through Hernandez in the early moments of the match, signalling the French would stroll to a win, but the determined Moroccan side ensured that their opponents laboured hard for their victory.
France celebrate their second goal against Morocco
Remarkably, it was also just the second goal conceded by Morocco at this World Cup and the first scored by an opposition player.
Morocco immediately started to search for an equaliser. Soon after they went behind, the excellent Azzedine Ounahi forced a fine save from Hugo Lloris, signalling to the French that the job was far from done.
When Saiss let a simple forward ball bounce over his head, Olivier Giroud broke away but his shot hit the post.
Morocco finished the half strongly and nearly drew level when, following a corner, defender Jawad El Yamiq saw his overhead kick tipped onto the post by Lloris.
Kolo Muani came on for Ousmane Dembele later in the second half, and with 11 minutes remaining, he scored from his first touch, tapping in after another Mbappe shot had been deflected.
Morocco players disappointed after the end of the semifinal (Photo: Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera)
The Moroccan players knew then it was game over, and so did French President Emmanuel Macron, standing to applaud in the crowd.
Morocco, the first African and Arab team ever to reach the last four at a World Cup, will now face Croatia in Saturday’s third-place play-off.
On the other hand, Mbappe-inspired France will battle Messi’s Argentina for the most coveted trophy in world football on Sunday.
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