admin
DOHA. — Morocco’s improbable, history-making run at the FIFA World Cup is about to get its ultimate test.
Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists are tonight playing defending champions France and their star striker Kylian Mbappé, the leader of a new wave of football superstars coming out of an era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Tonight’s match, which kicks-off at 9pm (Zimbabwean time), has cultural and political connotations — Morocco was under French rule from 1912-1956 — and the outcome is far from the foregone conclusion many would presume by looking at the names of the players and the rankings of the teams.
Morocco have exceeded all expectations in Qatar by beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and then eliminating European powerhouses Spain and Portugal in the knock-out phase to reach the semi-finals.
No African or Arab nation has ever gotten this far.
It is one of the biggest stories in the FIFA World Cup’s 92-year history and Morocco are not done yet.
“I was asked if we can win the World Cup and I said, “Why not? We can dream, it doesn’t cost you anything to have dreams,” said Walid Regragui, Morocco’s French-born coach. “European countries are used to winning the World Cup and we have played top sides, we have not had an easy run. Anyone playing us is going to be afraid of us now.”
Even France?
The defending champions have just passed their own big test by coming through a tough quarter-final match against England, on a rare occasion when Mbappé was kept quiet.
No player has scored more than his five goals and it won’t be easy for Mbappé to add to that tally against Morocco, who have yet to concede a goal to an opposition player at this World Cup — or indeed in their nine games since Regragui was hired in August. The only goal allowed was an own-goal by their defender, Nayef Aguerd, against Canada in the group stage.
Morocco might have some injuries now — Aguerd and fellow centre back Romain Saiss could be missing tonight — but Regragui’s game plan relies on team shape and discipline more than any specific individual.
“We recovered well. We have good doctors and every day we get good news. No one is ruled out and no one is for certain,” Regragui told reporters yesterday. “We’ll use the best team possible.”
The Morocco coach said his team is ready to “change the mentality” of Africa, and he’s told his players not to settle for anything less than the top prize.
“We’re going to fight to move on, for the African nations, for the Arab world,” he said.
Regragui said defender Achraf Hakimi is looking forward to a “nice duel” with Mbappé, his teammate at Paris Saint-Germain, but added that France doesn’t just depend on their star player.
“Well have to block Kylian, but not just him. Hakimi is super motivated to beat his friend,” he said. The key to winning the game, he said, will be Morocco’s “team spirit” and the support of the crowd at Al Bayt Stadium, where French President Emmanuel Macron is set to be in attendance along with tens of thousands of green-and-red-clad Morocco fans. It will feel like a home game for Morocco’s players, which might level things up even more.
“We have the best fans in the world along with Argentines and Brazilians. They’re people who come from anywhere in the world to support their country,” Regragui said. “We’re going to play like being at home and that’s the most important thing in the world.” France start as the big favourites, though, because of their star quality and experience.
In Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, a forward who has reinvented himself as a midfield playmaker at the World Cup. — AP
Online Reporter