FRANCE IS LOVED BY ALL, BUT MOROCCO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SURPRISE ALL

FRANCE IS LOVED BY ALL, BUT MOROCCO HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SURPRISE ALL

By Rashmi Goel

On Wednesday, Morocco takes on France in the World Cup semi-finals in a match that is heavy with political and social overtones after defeating Belgium, Portugal, and Spain in Qatar. As the first African team to reach the last four at a World Cup, Morocco will enjoy a raucous home crowd, and it will be critical if they are to defeat the defending champions. A new level of pressure will be added to the match against France. Morocco's success in Qatar has resulted in outpourings of celebration from Moroccan migrant communities in France. As the North African teams have exhorted their players throughout the tournament to keep going, the crowds have applauded their efforts.

The Moroccans reached the semifinals after finishing first in a group that included Croatia, Belgium, and Canada. They then defeated Spain and Portugal, two of the most anticipated teams in the tournament. There is, however, a question as to whether they have the capacity to engineer an even greater victory. As they themselves admit, there is a vast difference in quality between the two teams. Morocco is expected to resist France's attack. In their five matches, Morocco's defense has been virtually impenetrable, conceding only one goal - an own goal against Canada. Walid Regragui, coach of the team, explains, "we became the team everyone loves because we showed you can succeed even without money and talent".

Despite their best efforts, they may again be without Nayef Aguero (hamstring) and will be concerned about the health of Romain Saiss, the other first-choice center-back. There is no doubt that Morocco's defense faces its toughest test during the tournament, as they face Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud, the two leading scorers at the tournament, plus Antoine Griezmann, who was in sublime form during their quarterfinal win over England. As a result of England's defensive strategy, Mbappe was kept relatively quiet, but he was often doubled up on by the left side. It will be difficult for Morocco to use their right flank as a counterattack option through a combination of Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech if they remain focused on stopping Mbappe.

It is always a few details that determine success at this level, according to France's coach Didier Deschamps. "Besides quality, mental strength and experience matter a lot in this squad." As well as fitness, technique, and tactics, he says. To avoid "settling", Morocco will need to go deep." The fact that they have broken new ground for Africa and themselves guarantees them a hero's welcome upon their return home, regardless of the outcome of the game on Wednesday. For France, failure to deliver the expected victory would be a disaster that would prevent them from becoming the first nation to successfully defend the World Cup since Brazil 60 years ago.