So, defending champions France are ready to emulate what Brazil did 60 years ago, to win back to back FIFA World Cup trophies. On December 18 France will meet Argentina to decide who is the best. On December 15, France ended Morocco’s African dream, beating them 2-0.
An early Theo Hernandez goal put Les Bleus in the lead, thanks to a defensive error, and they stayed strong at the back to keep their sheet clean.
Towards the end of the first half, and in the beginning of the second, Morocco knocked on the door and created some trouble in the French area, but a late second goal from substitute Randal Kolo Muani, after brilliant work from Kylian Mbappe, ended Morocco’s dream run.
Morocco have been the surprise package of Qatar 2022 and Walid Regragui’s side responded superbly after Hernandez’s fifth-minute opener, pinning back the world champions for significant periods in a display of considerable courage and skill.
However, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Kolo Muani proved to be France’s unlikely hero, scoring with his first touch after Kylian Mbappe had a shot blocked 11 minutes from time.
Morocco have already upset 2010 champions Spain and highly rated Portugal on the way to the semi-finals, a record that left France captain Hugo Lloris warning his teammates against complacency.
Deschamps’ team are closing in on a third World Cup triumph in seven tournaments but will be aware that no team has retained the World Cup since Pele’s Brazil performed the feat in 1962.
The game will have added spice given France was Morocco’s colonial power and more than a million Moroccans live in the country.
France have reached the World Cup final four times in the last seven editions of the tournament (1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022), at least twice more than any other nation over the period.
