World Cup semi-final: France vs. Morocco prediction, preview and team news
England and Portugal fans won’t agree, but what a World Cup semi-final we have to look forward to at the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday. In the blue, white and red corner you have France, the reigning champions, while in the red and green corner you have Morocco, the first African nation to ever reach the final four of a World Cup.
Didier Deschamps’s Les Bleus will go into the match as favourites, but Morocco’s victories over Belgium in group F, Spain in the round of 16 and Portugal in the last eight will give them huge confidence of causing another major upset against Kylian Mbappé and Co.
“Marvellous” Morocco have “lit up” this World Cup, said Shamoon Hafez on BBC Sport. Roared on by many fans in Qatar, they’re not just the first African side to reach the semi-finals, but also the “first Arab one from a country with a Muslim majority”. The “history makers” are now just one win from football’s showpiece fixture.
Head coach Walid Regragui has mastermind the Atlas Lions’s incredible run and he believes they are becoming a team everyone “loves” because they are showing what can be achieved. “It is not a miracle – those in Europe might say it is, but we have beaten Portugal, Spain, Belgium and drawn against Croatia without conceding,” he said. “That is the result of hard work. African and Arab teams work hard but we have made our people happy and proud. The whole continent is proud. When you watch Rocky Balboa, you want to support him and we are the Rocky of this World Cup.”
The winners of Wednesday’s semi-final will go on to face Argentina or Croatia in the 2022 Fifa World Cup final on Sunday at the Lusail Stadium.
Match facts
- Who: France vs. Morocco
- What: Fifa World Cup semi-final
- When: Wednesday 14 December 2022
- Where: Al Bayt Stadium
- Kick-off time: 7pm (all times GMT)
How to watch on TV in the UK
Wednesday’s semi-final clash between France and Morocco will be shown live in the UK on BBC One and iPlayer. TV coverage begins at 6.30pm and the match kicks off at 7pm.
Olivier Giroud scored France’s winning goal against England
Richard Sellers/Getty Images
Team news
French boss Deschamps does not have any suspension worries for the semi-final. It also did not appear that any of his players picked up injuries in the quarter-final win over England. He could name the same starting XI for the third match in a row.
Article source: https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/sport/football/958856/world-cup-semi-final-france-vs-morocco-prediction-preview