Cape Town - It might sound unlikely, but given their unmatched defensive record in Qatar, Morocco have a realistic chance of reaching the championship round at the expense of star-studded France in Wednesday's 2022 World Cup semi-final.
Morocco's French-born coach Walid Regragui has devised a defensive pattern which has become seemingly impossible to penetrate on the World Cup stage in Qatar right now. He has Canadian-born goalkeeper Yassine Bounou propping up the defence and he has been well-nigh impossible to beat in open play.
The only goal the Sevilla keeper has conceded was an own-goal after defender Nayef Aguerd deflected the ball into his net in the team's 2-1 group-stage win over Canada.
After Bounou's heroics in the Round of 16 shoot-out against Spain, he could rightly claim to be the world's No 1 shot-stopper. He saved the penalties taken by Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets and Spain's other kick was held out by the upright and Morocco ran our 3-0 winners on penalties.
Those penalty saves were special but the save of the 2022 showpiece must also go to Bounou. In the quarter-final, Bounou single-handedly denied Portugal when it seemed they would grab the equaliser seven minutes from the end.
After latching on to a feed from substitute Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix unleashed a venomous swerving drive that had 'goal' written all over it. Instead, Bounou acrobatically launched himself towards the top right corner of his posts and tipped the ball over the crossbar.
When summing up Morocco's chances of winning it may be worth looking at Morocco's fine results in the weeks leading up to the Qatar showpiece. One might well deduct that their defensive record in Qatar is no fluke. Morocco held Croatia and Paraguay to goalless draws and scored a 3-0 win over Georgia.
Three more clean sheets and by this time irrespective of whom the opponents are, rendering the opposition goalless have become par for the course.
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Morocco would do well to review the recent England - France quarterfinal. England dominated but ended up losing. This statistic will inspire Morocco's Atlas Lions who are used to living off the scraps falling from the table of world football's elite teams like Belgium (World No 2), Spain (7) and Portugal (9) and emerging victors.
From the get-go, Morocco have played their hearts out in every match in Qatar. Their tactics have been spot-on every time. This time however Morocco, to the man, will need to play out of their skin to reach a dream World Cup final.
Morocco prepare to take on juggernauts France for a spot in World Cup final
Standing in their way is a star-studded France side that includes the jet-heeled wonderkid Kylian Mbappe, one of the world's greatest players.
Four years ago, in Russia, Mbappe was a kingpin in the team that was crowned the 2018 World Cup champions. The French will not be entering uncharted territory and expect Mbappe to be at the forefront of the team's effort to secure back-to-back World Cup final appearances.
The only thing that is certain about the match is that French fans will be outnumbered at the Al Bayt Stadium. France coach Didier Deschamps has said the Moroccan supporters will jeer and whistle at his team at every turn.
For the first time in Qatar, Deschamps said he has to prepare the team for the match but also the environment.
IOL Sport