France vs Morocco : Champion France ended Morocco’s dream run in Qatar and set up a mouth-watering summit clash and Play Final with Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Sunday. France defeated brave Morocco 2-0 in the second semi-final of FIFA World Cup 2022 on Thursday.
France vs Morocco Highlights: France beat Magical Morocco 2-0 and Play Final with Argentina
France became the first defending champion since Brazil in 2002 to reach back-to-back finals. They will now bid to follow Brazil (1962) and Italy (1938) as the third team to retain the title.
Argentina 🆚 France
The #FIFAWorldCup Final is SET! 🇦🇷🇫🇷
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 14, 2022
France took an early lead in the fifth minute when full-back Theo Hernandez volleyed home a goal from close range. Morocco dominated the match (over 60%) but substitute Randal Kolo Muani sealed the game for France with a late goal in the 79th minute.
Morocco will face Croatia in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
France vs Morocco Match Highlights
Hernandez’s opening goal got France off to the right start as they looked to strike early at the Albeit Stadium to quell Morocco’s furious support and bolster their team’s confidence.
But it proved to be a close contest nonetheless as Morocco overcame the blow of injury and showed no respect for France’s reputation, taking the game in a valiant effort that belied the illustrious reputation they had earned at the tournament.
France settled the result with a second goal 11 minutes from time, with his first touch after coming on as Randal Kolo Muani fired a shot at the back post.
For the first goal, Hernandez had to lift his left foot to connect with a ricochet from a tight angle and finish a neat move that began with Antoine Griezmann’s run-down and a cut-back pass from the right.
France are through to the final! 👊@adidasfootball | #FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 14, 2022
Mbappé was the creator of the second as he first tried to dribble through the Moroccan defense and then shot, his effort was blocked but Randal Kolo Muani found the net.
Olivier Giroud hit the post and missed from point-blank range at the end of a barnstorming run down the middle by Aurelien Tchouameni in the first half.
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The midfielder threaded a superb through ball to find Mbappe, whose mis-shot was not well cleared, allowing Giroud to fire a first-time shot that went wide from close range.
But Morocco were never overwhelmed and had chances as Azzedine Ounahi pulled off two fine saves from French captain Hugo Lloris with speculative efforts and a curling set-piece to put the French defense under pressure.
The North African, with his dominant central back injured after injuring his hamstring in the warm-up, gambled on naming Nayef Aguerd in the starting line-up, and captain Romain Saiss was ruled out after 20 minutes. they were finished. ,
Replacement centre-back Jawad El Yamiq, however, came close to equalizing on the stroke of half-time with a superb bicycle kick from a poorly cleared corner by the Frenchman, Lloris getting a vital touch as he hit straight .
France’s victory raised the dreaded prospect of a decisive clash between Argentine maestro Lionel Messi at the end of his international career and France’s Embappé, who is emerging as the next superstar of the world game.
Morocco’s exit was overshadowed by their achievement of becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, an achievement widely celebrated. They can expect to be hailed as heroes when they return home after Saturday’s third-place play-off against Croatia.
Watch France vs Morocco Highlights
