- Theo Hernandez and substitute Kolo Muani scored in the 2-0 win
- France will face Argentina in Sunday’s final while Morocco face Croatia in the play-off
- France can become the first team in 60 years to defend the title
Theo Hernandez and substitute Randal Kolo Muani scored in either half as defending champions France ended Morocco’s dream run at the FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory to set up a feisty date against Lionel Messi in Sunday’s final.
Morocco were on a brilliant run at the tournament and had only conceded once the entire tournament, an own goal, and the two goals against France was the first time an opposition player scored against them.
Head coach Walid Regragui said they were punished for failing to use their chances, despite the fact they dominated most spells of the game and had close chances to equalize before they conceded late.
“We wanted to get a goal and give them some doubts. But with their attacking talents, we knew we could be punished at any moment and that’s what happened with the second goal.,” Regragui said after the match.
Smarter in the second half
Morocco’s Jawad El Yamiq goes for an audacious acrobatic kick. PHOTO/FIFA
He added; “In the second half we were smarter, we gave away fewer balls and we caused them problems, creating a lot of opportunities but we weren’t decisive in that final 30 metres. We could have scored, but unfortunately a goal didn’t come. May the Moroccans forgive us. We wanted to go to the final but… next time, God willing.”
Morocco did not have the best of starts straight from warm up as first choice centre back Nayef Aguerd who missed the quarter final had to pull out from the starting 11 after aggravating his injury.
Into the game, they conceded just five minutes in when Hernandez volleyed the ball into the back of the net from the near post. Kyllian Mbappe had done most of the work before his eventual shot was blocked and the left back was first on the rebound, swinging an acrobatic volley past Yassine Bonou.
It got back to worse for Morocco as they had to see their captain Roman Saiss limp off injured after 20 minutes and was replaced by Selim Amallah. Before that, Morocco had dodged a bullet when Saiss failed to pick out a long ball and Giroud beat him to it.
The France forward however saw his rasping shot hit the outside of the bar. After conceding, Morocco had two chances with midfielder Azzedine Ounahi seeing his well taken strike saved by Hugo Lloris while he set up Hakim Ziyech with another chance but the latter shot wide.
Morocco dominating but wasting chances
France’s Kolo Muani scores the second goal for Les Bleus. PHOTO/FIFA
Morocco were dominating the game and were the masters of chances, but just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net. At the stroke of halftime, they came inches close to levelling when Jawad El Yamiq, brought in for Aguerd went for an audacious overhead kick from a corner.
However, Lloris pulled off yet another brilliant save, stretching to his right to punch the ball against the post.
In the second half, Morocco literally camped inside the French half as they piled pressure for an equalizer. However, they could not take their chances in the final third. Substitute Abderazzak Hamdallah had two opportunities, but he took too many touches in the box to reduce the danger.
They were punished for failing to make the most of their possession as substitute Kolo Muani scored with virtually his first touch of the ball, less than a minute after coming on.
Mbappe once again did the dirty job, his quick feet dribbling away from his markers inside the box before his eventual shot was blocked, and kindly rolled into Muani’s path at the backpost.
The second goal was a sucker punch for the Atlas Lions and they failed to land a response, France comfortably seeing off the result.
They now stand on the door of history and will potentially become the first team since Brazil 60 years ago to defend the title, if they find a way past Argentina and Lionel Messi in Sunday’s final.
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