France vs Morocco: On its ground-breaking road to the World Cup’s semifinals, Morocco has eliminated one former colonial power, Spain, which ruled over a region of the nation in the 20th century.
They confront a different nation that used to colonies them in France, up until 1956.
France vs Morocco (Semifinal)
Al Bayt Stadium, Thursday at 2:30 a.m.
In 2021, as in many previous years, when asked to choose their favourite cuisine, the French chose the unassuming couscous, which didn’t appear very French.
It was viewed as another indication of the growing Moroccan influence on French culture, from food to literature, as it is a mainstay of Maghrebi cuisine.
The topic of visas came up at the same time that the locals were tucking into their favorite comfort dish. Major controversy resulted from the French government’s decision to decrease the number of visas granted to Moroccans by up to 50%.
These two episodes perfectly encapsulate the nuanced interactions between France and Morocco. So it makes sense that the World Cup semifinal between the two nations on Wednesday seems like much more than just a match of football: it will put friends against friends; people representing their roots against their country of birth.
There is a larger historical and political context for the game as well. On its ground-breaking road to the World Cup’s semifinals, Morocco has eliminated one former colonial power, Spain, which ruled over a region of the nation in the 20th century. They confront a different nation that used to colonies them in France, up until 1956.
One of the reasons Morocco has a sizable diaspora in France is thought to be its colonial heritage. Five million Moroccans live in France, a relatively small proportion of the over 38 million people that call the North African nation home.
With about 18.4% of the total population as of 2019, they were the second-largest non-European Union immigrant community in France.
It is reflected in the composition of this Moroccan team, who made history by being the first nation from Africa to go to the World Cup semifinals. Sofiane Boufal, one of this team’s standout players, and coaches Walid Regragui and Roman Saiss are all French citizens.
“I have two nationalities. Although it is a joy and an honor to compete against France, it is just football. The “Moroccan Guardiola,” Regragui, declared on the eve of the game that “when we play for Morocco, we are Moroccan.”
The challenge of stopping the French juggernaut seems daunting to Regragui. But one can speculate that he might be more qualified than most to complete the task. In 2008, Regragui played for Grenoble alongside Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading scorer.
And among the five Moroccans working in France, Ashraf Hakimi, one of his most important lieutenants, plays for Paris St-Germain alongside Kylian Mbappe, who is by far their biggest threat.
France vs Morocco Analysis
This is the sixth time these two groups have met at the World Cup. Morocco will attempt to break the streak in which France has not lost any of these encounters.
Morocco has the talent to compete with the European juggernauts thanks to players like Hakim Ziyech and Ashraf Hakimi. When Portugal was eliminated, their talent was on display.
On Morocco, the opponent has not yet scored. The team’s lone goal was an own goal because Morocco had the best defense at the 2022 World Cup.
Three months prior to the World Cup, Morocco’s manager was replaced, improving squad cohesion. A new manager a few months out from a competition is typically a terrible sign, but not for Morocco. Although they are the underdog squad at this stage of the competition, they should not be written off.
This status allows Morocco to prosper, which takes many teams by surprise.
Since the World Cup began, injuries have plagued this French team.
The players from their World Cup-winning side from 2018 are absent, most notably Karim Benzema, the 2021 Golden Ball winner. This new-look France team, though, is led by the recognisable names of Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud, who appear to get better as the games go on. In their most recent game against England, France had several fresh faces.
Morocco also has late reinforcements in this match versus France that should be crucial. Amine Harit was hurt a week prior to the World Cup, but he will now be able to play.
France vs Morocco Prediction
With a tonne of pressure and goal-bound shots, expect France to score first. Morocco will try to continue using the strategy that has allowed them to get to the semifinals.
France should depress the throttle and accelerate swiftly. This match should be won by France in the full 90 minutes due to the French team’s superior quality against Morocco. Most likely, Les Blues will return to the World Cup Final.
France is expected to defeat Morocco 3–0.
