Brazil’s Canary yellow is no longer seen on the streets of Doha. The red of Morocco makes the blue and white stripes of Argentina look like a bottle of ketchup has been thrown over the city.
Morocco, which coach Walid Regragui calls the “Rocky of this World Cup,” has already made history at the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world. It is the first time in 92 years that an African team has made it to the semifinals.
Their fans are everywhere, and the only things you can’t find are Moroccan shirts, flags, and scarves. Shop owners in the souq don’t know what to do with all the extra Brazil and England jerseys.
Regraui’s team has defied every prediction to make it this far, except for those of Samuels Eto’o and Sunday Oliseh. When the tournament started, the odds were 200/1 that they would win. But now, one step from the final, its defence is at risk of being broken by a striker from the other team. The only goal it has given up was when one of its own defenders helped Canada score one.
Didier Deschamps, who is trying to get France to back-to-back World Cup finals, said that his opponents were very tight. “Morocco knows how to defend itself very well. But it can also win games by being aggressive, or it wouldn’t be here. It’s a team with the best defence. All of the games have been watched by my observers, and there are things to think about. He said, “Our goal will be to find a way to score.”
But Morocco isn’t just focused on defence. Even though Regragui has given up possession—Morocco has had an average of 30.2% possession in five games—he has used the dribbling skills and speed of wingers Hakim Ziyech and Sifiane Boufal to run one of the best counterattacking units. Morocco has had the fewest shots on goal and scored the fewest goals of the semifinalists. However, along with Croatia, it is the only team in the tournament without a loss.
“We are still very hungry,” Regragui said before the big game. “France won’t want us to have the ball because they want it for themselves. We need three or four chances to score, knock out the other team, and win. France did not do anything amazing against England, but they did their job. It doesn’t matter if we only have a 12% position if it’s effective. What matters is winning, winning for Africa, winning for our people, and winning to show Egypt and Libya that we can do it.
France under Deschamps has also gone against the usual idea of keeping the ball and looked at defensive stability. Against England, it only had 42% of the ball, but its wing play was devastating and it made the most of its chances. But Deschamps thinks the match against Morocco will be different. “We can break and attack as quickly as Morocco. We wouldn’t give up the ball, but when we do have it, we’ll have to make it count.”
Kylian Mbappe has scored the most goals so far with five. He will face Achraf Hakimi, who has been the best defender here, while Yahia Attiyat has been great on the left. But the Atlas Lions might have trouble against Oliver Giroud, who is smart and knows where to stand, without their captain Romain Saiss.
But most people in the 68,895-seat Al Bayt Stadium and on the streets of Doha want the Moroccan underdog to win against their former colonisers to keep up their Hollywood feel-good story.
Today’s celebration
Morocco vs. France, 2nd semi final
Head-To-Head*
11 games played: Morocco 1, France 7, draws 3.
1963: Morocco bt France 2-1
1966: Morocco and France tied 2-2.
1967: Morocco lost to France 0-2
1975: After a 1-1 tie, France beat Morocco 1-3 on penalties.
1987: Morocco and France tied 0-0.
1988: Morocco lost to France 1-2
1996: Morocco lost to France 0-1
1998: After a 2-2 tie, France beat Morocco 5-6 on penalties
1999: Morocco lost to France 0-1
2000: Morocco lost to France 1-5
2007: Morocco and France tied 2-2
- France is in the World Cup semifinals for the sixth time in the nine years it has been in the Finals.
- France is the first defending champion to make it to the final four since Brazil in 1998.
- France has won 15 of its last 17 knockout games in the World Cup, including one game decided by a penalty shootout. The French men have won each of their last six knockout games.
- Morocco is the only country that isn’t from Europe or South America to make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, joining the USA (1930) and Korea Republic (2002).
- Morocco will be the 25th country to compete in the final four of the World Cup. It’s the only team that has never been to the semifinals.
- Morocco hasn’t lost in its last six World Cup games (three wins, three draws), which is its best run at the Finals.
- There have been 5 official International matches between France and Morocco. France won the first one 2-1 in 1988, but their history goes back further. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the two played an unofficial game together. France has never lost a match to Morocco in a real game. In 2007, at a match in Paris, the score was 2-2.
