African giant-killers Morocco will be aiming to continue their fairytale story in the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar when they face defending champions France on Wednesday, December 14, at the Al Bayt Stadium. The semifinal game will see Morocco going all out as they hope to secure another historical feat as they push to become the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup final. The Atlas Lions have been outstanding so far this campaign and they continue to fight for African pride with superb performances. Morocco were the underdogs from the beginning and no one gave them a chance to progress from a group involving 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, Belgium who finished in the third place in the previous edition in Russia not forgetting a Canadian team which finished at the top of the World Cup qualifiers in the confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). Morocco pulled the nuts out of the blazing fire as they finished on top of Group F. They drew goalless with Croatia, hammered Belgium 2-0 and defeated Canada 2-1 to amass 7 points. Walid Regragui’s men Atlas Lions knocked Spain out of the round of 16 on penalties after both teams were tied to a goalless draw before Youssef En-Neysri's first half strike saw Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal crashing out in the quarter finals. France on the other hand came into the tournament without injured Ngolo Kante and Paul Pogba who were key to the Bleus’ World Cup triumph in Russia while Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema was forced out of the squad in the last minute through injury as well. The array of stars at Didier Deschamps’ disposal meant the trio was not being missed. Les Bleus came from behind to beat Australia 4-1 in their opening game, defeated Denmark 2-1 in the second game before losing 1-0 to Tunisia in the last Group game with a makeshift team as they had already qualified to the second round. They eliminated Poland 3-1 in the round of 16 before seeing off England 2-1 in a nervy quarter final clash. France and Morocco had previously met 11 times with the French winning seven, drawing three and losing once. This is going to be the first time the two teams will lock horns in the history of the World Cup. Coaches, tactics Walid Regragui (Morocco): The 2021/2022 CAF Champions League winning coach has already taken his seat among the best in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Under Regragui, Morocco have conceded once so far this campaign when they beat Canada in the group stage. They are well organized at the back with the likes of skipper Romain Saiss, El Yamiq, Attiyat-Allah and Achraf Hakimi. They defend as a unit and they are very swift on the counter where they utilize the pace and artistry of Hakim Ziyech and Sofian Boufal. Their midfield is tight with Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat doing most of the dirty work. Didier Deschamps (France) Deschamps is a genius in the 4-2-3-1 formation which he has maintained since winning the World Cup in 2018. The greatest assets in his team are tournament joint top scorer Kylian Mbappe, Antoie Griezmann and Osumane Dembele who play out wide, feeding the lone ranger Olivier Giroud up front. The former French skipper is not surprised about Morocco's impressive run as he heaped praise on them ahead of the encounter. It's fantastic what [coach Walid Regragui] has achieved, he said in the pre-match press conference. Morocco has played and beaten some of the best teams in the world, and that's down to the players, the coach, the staff. It's a historic achievement. It's not a surprise now because we've seen them put in a number of top performances. They haven't stolen the victories; they've deserved them. Deschamps added Morocco's possible 11 to face France: Yaccine Bono Born in Montreal, Canada, Yaccine returned to Morocco with his parents as a kid and grew up in Casablanca. Bono, 31, also holds Canadian citizenship and was courted by the Canadian national team before making his senior appearance for Morocco in 2013. In all, the Seville FC shot stopper has been capped 50 times by Morocco and has been arguably the best goalkeeper in the 2022 World Cup. Achraf Hakimi Born in Madrid in Spain, the 24-year-old right back was featuring for the youth team of Real Madrid when he was scouted by officials of the Moroccan FA. The Paris Saint Germain defender chose to play for Moroccan over Spain and featured in the Moroccan U20s, U23s before he was handed his first call up in the senior team in 2016. Yahia Attiyat-Allah The 27-year-old plays for reigning CAF Champions league winners Wydad Casablanca. He previously featured for Volos in Greece. Yahia made his national team debut this year and has so far been capped six times before the World Cup. Jawad El Yamiq Standing at 1.98-meter-tall, the giant central defender has been superb for the Atlas Lions in Qatar. The Khouribga-born player, who plies his trade with Real Valladolid in Spain, was one of the stand out players in the quarter finals win over Portugal. Romain Saiss The Morocco skipper was born in France but chose to represent the Atlas Lions as he made his debut in 2012. Saiss, 32, currently plays for Besiktas in Turkey. He was one of the key players at Wolves under manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Azzedine Ounahi One of the football revelations in the ongoing World Cup in Qatar, the 22 -year-old central midfielder has been in fine form for the Atlas Lions. He plays his club football for Angers in France. Sofyan Amrabat Arguably the best defensive midfielder so far in the World Cup, the 26-year-old anchorman was born in the Netherlands and represented the Dutch at U15 level before switching allegiance to Morocco in 2013 starting with the U17 setup. The Fiorentina star is already attracting the interest from Liverpool following his impressive performance in Qatar. Selim Amallah The Standard Liege star completes Morocco's unbreakable midfield trio alongside Ounahi and Amrabat. Amallah, 26, was born in the Netherlands but chose to represent Morocco in 2019. Youssef En-Nesyri Born in the Moroccan city of Fez, En-Nesyri is a well-known face in the Spanish La Liga where he plays for Sevilla. He is a ruthless predator and it was his goal against Portugal which sent Morocco to the semis. Hakim Ziyech The Chelsea star retired from Moroccan national team following an impasse with then coach Vahid Halilhodzic. He returned after the Bosnian tactician was shown the exit. A former Dutch youth prospect, Ziyech switched allegiance to Morocco in 2015 and has so far played 48 games scoring 19 goals. He is the vice-captain of the national team. Sofiane Boufal The 29-year-old attacker plays for Angers in France. Born in Paris, Boufal chose to represent Morocco in 2016 and has so far netted six goals in 37 appearances.
