In a striking contrast to their previous encounter in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, where Morocco and France played a fiercely contested match, the recent quarter-final clash at the Boston Stadium showcased a decisive victory for the French team. Unlike four years ago, when Morocco proved to be a formidable opponent, this time around, France asserted their dominance from the outset, leaving little doubt about which team would advance to the semi-finals.
Didier Deschamps, marking his 25th appearance on the sidelines of a World Cup tournament, witnessed his squad's breakthrough only an hour into the match, when superstar Kylian Mbappé finally broke the deadlock. With a signature curling shot from the left side, executed with his stronger right foot, he skillfully found the net, leaving goalkeeper Bono with no chance. This goal marked the 27-year-old's eighth tournament goal, equaling Lionel Messi's tally, and brought his overall World Cup goals to 20, putting him just one goal shy of the record holder, Messi.
Only six minutes later, the trajectory of the match was firmly set in favor of France as Ousmane Dembélé sprinted half the length of the field, slightly cut inside, and delivered a low shot to extend the lead to 2-0 in the 66th minute. Despite Bono's commendable efforts, he could not prevent the goal, which effectively sealed the fate of the quarter-final. France continued their relentless pursuit, heading towards their eighth consecutive competitive victory with ease.
It wasn't until the 83rd minute that French goalkeeper Mike Maignan faced his first real challenge, when a shot from Azzedine Ounahi tested his reflexes. Throughout the match, Morocco struggled to make a significant offensive impact, and the absence of future Bayern player Ismaël Saibari proved to be more detrimental than anticipated.
The first half was entirely dominated by 'Les Bleus', as they created a multitude of scoring opportunities while Morocco focused primarily on defensive duties. Within the first four minutes, both Mbappé and Dayot Upamecano had already registered solid chances on goal.
The highlight of the first half occurred in the 28th minute when Mbappé was awarded a penalty after being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui in the box. There was a delay as the VAR reviewed the incident before Mbappé stepped up to take the penalty. Unfortunately for the French record scorer, Bono made a fantastic save, anticipating the shot perfectly.
The 35-year-old goalkeeper was undeniably the standout player for Morocco, making several crucial saves, including a dangerous strike from Désiré Doué just seven minutes after the penalty save and a fingertip touch to deflect a thunderous effort from Lucas Digne just before halftime. With this defeat, Morocco became the last African representative to exit the tournament.
France's next challenge will be the semi-final match, scheduled for Tuesday at 9:00 PM Swiss time, where they will face either Spain or Belgium at the Dallas Stadium.
As reported by srf.ch.
