PREVIEW
After placing Belgium, Portugal and Spain to the sword in Qatar, Morocco is seeking to deliver one other soccer superpower to its knees when it faces France within the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday in a match heavy with political and social overtones.
Morocco, the primary African facet to achieve the final 4 at a World Cup, will command ear-splitting help on the Al Bayt Stadium, and can want each little bit of it to beat the defending champion and proceed its fairy story run.
The match in opposition to former colonial energy France will tackle an added edge. Morocco’s exploits in Qatar have offered an outlet for marginalised migrant communities in France, who’ve been out on the streets celebrating the groups wins.
The North Africans have ridden the wave of help all through the event, crowds exhorting gamers to maintain going as they emptied the tanks in each recreation.
After ending prime of a bunch that additionally included Croatia, Belgium and Canada, Morocco then knocked off the fancied Spaniards and Portuguese to achieve the semis.
But whether or not it has sufficient to engineer a good larger upset stays to be seen. By their very own admission, there’s a huge chasm in high quality between the 2 sides.
France is predicted to assault, Morocco to withstand. Morocco’s defence has been just about watertight, conceding solely as soon as – an personal purpose in opposition to Canada – in its 5 matches up to now.
-REUTERS
PREDICTED 11
France: Hugo Lloris – Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Raphael Varane, Jules Kounde – Youssouf Fofana, Aurelien Tchouameni, Antoine Griezmann – Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele
Morocco: Yassine Bounou – Achraf Hakimi, Jawad El Yamiq, Achraf Dari, Noussair Mazraoui – Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah – Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal
PLAYERS WHO MAY MISS FRA vs MAR SEMIFINAL – INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS
The greatest omission from the Morocco lineup shall be captain Romain Saiss. The defender was subbed off and stretchered off within the workforce’s 1-0 win over Portugal.
Morocco’s Romain Saiss is carried away on a stretcher throughout Morocco vs Portugal quarterfinal.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Saiss’ absence is the second within the defence line for Morocco. Nayef Aguerd, one other mainstay within the backline, is prone to not get better in time from his hamstring harm which made him sit the quarterfinal match out.
There was one other harm scare to star ahead Hakim Ziyech who suffered a knock and hobbled out from the Portugal recreation, however the Chelsea participant appears to be like to have overcome the issue and is prone to begin the sport.
Apart from the 2 defenders, ahead Walid Cheddira will miss the match in opposition to France. The striker was booked twice within the quarterfinal and proven a pink card.
For France, Adien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano are prone to miss the sport after affected by sickness. Both gamers skilled individually on Tuesday.
Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann obtained yellow playing cards within the quarterfinal match, however these cautions, their first within the event, shall be eliminated for the semifinal.
