DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Morocco made history, but couldn’t get past Kylian Mbappé and France.
The first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals were defeated by eventual champions France 2-0 at the Al Bait Stadium on Wednesday.
There is still a chance to win Saturday’s third-place tie against Croatia, but his dream of becoming the first team from outside Europe or South America to reach the finals is over.
Morocco coach Waleed Regragui and his players made the World Cup an unlikely story and pushed France even in defeat.
“My players gave everything. They went as far as they could,” said Regragui. “They wanted to rewrite the history books, but you can’t win the World Cup with miracles, you have to work hard and that’s what we’re going for. Do it, keep working.”
The protected V.S. Performance
No one could have expected Morocco to break new ground by advancing to the semi-finals of African football.
It is the first Arab country to ever go to the World Cup.
And it did so in style – taking on 2018 finalists Croatia and second-placed Belgium before edging out favorites Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages.
But perhaps Morocco’s best result was against France, damaging key players and scoring within five minutes. Faced with those challenges, Randall Kolo Muani was able to pressure France for a long time until a 79th-minute strike sealed victory for Les Bleus.
A performance that shows Morocco’s spirit in this tournament and the quality of its players.
Who’s out?
Regargui has won many admirers with his tactical skills against some of the world’s greatest footballers.
It will be interesting to see if any offers come from clubs across Europe – and whether he will be tempted to take on a new challenge.
He said he is committed to leading Morocco at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which will come as a relief to the country’s fans.
Key defender and captain Romain Saiss is 32 and has probably played in the last World Cup, but Morocco have plenty of young players who could go again in four years when the tournament is held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Who’s next?
Midfielder Az-Edine Onahi is one of the hottest talents in the competition and could be subject to interest from major clubs in January or next summer.
At the age of 22, he has yet to reach his peak and is currently playing club football for Angers, a club at the bottom of France’s first division.
Achraf Hakimi has already established himself at Paris Saint-Germain, but the 24-year-old right-back has the potential to develop further and lead Morocco’s golden generation.
What’s next?
First, Morocco will look to complete a memorable World Cup with a win in their third-place match against Croatia.
The focus is then the African Cup and Regragui is comfortable with more expected after the success in Qatar.
“There is more pressure. “We know we are favorites many times, but now we couldn’t hide in the semi-finals,” he said. “I think we will have some time to find our way in the competition. The next game is in March.
“But as I said before, I will not hide. If we don’t get to at least the semi-finals, I’ll go. It must be so.”
___
James Robson b https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Comments