Moroccan 'dream' faces biggest test vs France

Doha, Dec. 14: Morocco's improbable, history-making run at the World Cup is about to get its ultimate test.

Africa's first World Cup semifinalist is playing defending champion France and its star striker Kylian Mbappé, the leader of a new wave of soccer superstars coming out of an era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Wednesday's match 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 has exceeded all expectations in Qatar by beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and then eliminating European powerhouses Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase to reach the semifinals.

No African or Arab nation has ever gotten this far. It is one of the biggest stories in the World Cup's 92-year history and Morocco is 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 quarterfinal 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, which has yet to concede a goal to an opposition player at this World Cup — or indeed in its nine games since Regragui was hired in August. 

The only goal allowed was an own-goal by its defender, Nayef Aguerd, against Canada in the group stage.

Morocco might have some injuries now — Aguerd and fellow center back Romain Saiss could be missing Wednesday — 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 on Tuesday. "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 its 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 starts as the big favorite, though, because of its star quality and experience. In Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, a forward who has reinvented himself as a midfield playmaker at the World Cup, the team has two of the World Cup's leading players while Olivier Giroud's winner against England took him to four goals — the same as Messi.

Prepared for wall noise

They have attacking threats from everywhere and that intangible quality of just knowing how to get the job done. 

However, the defending champions will prepare itself for a hostile reception from the Maghreb side’s supporters on Wednesday. 

The French fans will be largely outnumbered by the Morocco supporters at the Al Bayt stadium and Les Bleus know that they will be jeered and whistled throughout.

"They're benefiting from a huge support, I've seen this and my observers have told me about. We know it's going to be extremely noisy, it's part of the context and we'll have to be ready for it," France coach Didier Deschamps told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Good for them. We have to prepare for the game, but also for the environment of the game."

The backing of their fans has been giving Morocco, the first African side in the World Cup last four, extra energy as they beat Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the semi-finals, but France will be ready.

Morocco play a very compact 4-1-4-1 and patience will be key for France, who hope to be the first team to score here against them, as the only time they conceded was through an own goal against Canada.

"Here's another game where he'd better be good. He's got this capacity to change the face of the team, with his technical touch, and the fact that he enjoys a good tackle as much as a good pass," said Deschamps, who expects France to enjoy possession.

Morocco have been very dangerous on the break and quick attacks, but this is precisely how France could hurt them as well.

"We want to have the ball to create danger, but you saw that in our game against Poland (in the last 16) they actually had it more than expected," said Deschamps.

"We're as good as Morocco on the break and on fast attacks. We won't abandon possession, but when we will have the ball we're going to have to make it count."