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L-R: Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri and Olivier Giroud of France in action. Source: Getty.
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Matchday 21 Live Blog: Defending champions France end Morocco's miracle run
Join us for Matchday 21 as we bring you the key moments and highlights from today's FIFA World Cup fixture.
L-R: Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri and Olivier Giroud of France in action. Source: Getty.
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By SBS Sport
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That's full time at Al Bayt Stadium
France progress to the final where they'll meet Argentina after defeating a valiant Morocco 2-0.
You can watch the full replay and highlights soon via the SBS On Demand match hub:
Thanks for following the live blog!
You can watch the full replay and highlights soon via the SBS On Demand match hub:
Thanks for following the live blog!
Goal to France!
79' - France's substitute Kolo Muani gets a tap-in at the far post after a brilliant dribble by Mbappe - Morocco are on the ropes and might be out
We're back under way for the second half
Morocco need to get back in the game - let's see how they go about it
That's half-time at Al Bayt
France head into the break with a 1-0 advantage thanks to Theo Hernandez, who was involved in mild controversy at the other end of the pitch:
France go ahead early!
5' - Theo Hernandez gets on the end of a loose ball to finish past the onrushing Bounou - Morocco couldn't clear as Mbappe had several attempts!
We're under way! France v Morocco
Semi-final 2 has begun at Al Bayt Stadium - either France or Morocco will face Argentina in the final.
Morocco Stats
· Morocco are the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals. The Oceania Football Confederation is the only continental confederation never to have been represented in the World Cup semi-finals.
· The three previous African teams to reach the World Cup quarter-finals were all eliminated at that stage: Cameroon in 1990 (lost 3-2 after extra time versus England), Senegal in 2002 (lost 1-0 in golden goal extra time versus Türkiye) and Ghana in 2010 (lost on penalties versus Uruguay).
· Morocco are the 25th nation to play in the World Cup semi-finals. The last country to reach the last four at the World Cup for the first time was Spain in 2010. Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the semi-finals and went on to lift the trophy that year.
· Morocco (22nd) are the first nation to play four matches against countries ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings at a single World Cup since Portugal in 2006 (4, eliminated by France in the semi-finals).
· In the round of last 16 (versus Spain), Morocco became the first African team to win a World Cup penalty shootout. Spain missed all three of their spot-kicks (two saved by Bono, one hit the post). Only Badr Benoun missed for Morocco in that shootout.
· Morocco are unbeaten in six World Cup matches (W3-D3-L0, game decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw), since a 1-0 defeat against Portugal in the 2018 group stage. This is the longest World Cup unbeaten streak by an African team.
· Morocco are unbeaten in all eight games under Walid Regragui (W5-D3-L0, match decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw). No opposition player scored against the Atlas Lions in those eight fixtures (the only goal they conceded in that run was an own goal by Nayef Aguerd).
· Regragui was born in France. As a player, he scored four goals in 91 matches in the French top flight (between 2000 and 2009).
· Regragui has made it to the World Cup semi-finals after no African manager before him had got further than the round of last 16.
· Regragui won the African Champions League as manager of Wydad Athletic Club in 2021/22. He can become the second manager to reach the final of the Champions League (any confederation) and World Cup in the same year, after Ernst Happel in 1978: lost the Champions Cup final in charge of Club Brugge and the World Cup final in charge of Netherlands.
Courtesy of Gracenote
· The three previous African teams to reach the World Cup quarter-finals were all eliminated at that stage: Cameroon in 1990 (lost 3-2 after extra time versus England), Senegal in 2002 (lost 1-0 in golden goal extra time versus Türkiye) and Ghana in 2010 (lost on penalties versus Uruguay).
· Morocco are the 25th nation to play in the World Cup semi-finals. The last country to reach the last four at the World Cup for the first time was Spain in 2010. Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the semi-finals and went on to lift the trophy that year.
· Morocco (22nd) are the first nation to play four matches against countries ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA world rankings at a single World Cup since Portugal in 2006 (4, eliminated by France in the semi-finals).
· In the round of last 16 (versus Spain), Morocco became the first African team to win a World Cup penalty shootout. Spain missed all three of their spot-kicks (two saved by Bono, one hit the post). Only Badr Benoun missed for Morocco in that shootout.
· Morocco are unbeaten in six World Cup matches (W3-D3-L0, game decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw), since a 1-0 defeat against Portugal in the 2018 group stage. This is the longest World Cup unbeaten streak by an African team.
· Morocco are unbeaten in all eight games under Walid Regragui (W5-D3-L0, match decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw). No opposition player scored against the Atlas Lions in those eight fixtures (the only goal they conceded in that run was an own goal by Nayef Aguerd).
· Regragui was born in France. As a player, he scored four goals in 91 matches in the French top flight (between 2000 and 2009).
· Regragui has made it to the World Cup semi-finals after no African manager before him had got further than the round of last 16.
· Regragui won the African Champions League as manager of Wydad Athletic Club in 2021/22. He can become the second manager to reach the final of the Champions League (any confederation) and World Cup in the same year, after Ernst Happel in 1978: lost the Champions Cup final in charge of Club Brugge and the World Cup final in charge of Netherlands.
Courtesy of Gracenote
France Stats
· Only twice before has the World Cup been won by the holders: Italy (1938) and Brazil (1962). France are the first holders to reach the semi-finals since Brazil in 1998 (lost 3-0 in the final versus hosts France).
· France can reach the World Cup final for the fourth time. Les Bleus progressed from their last three World Cup semi-finals (1998, 2006, 2018), after they were eliminated in the semi-final on their first three attempts (1958, 1982, 1986). France went on to lift the trophy in 1998 (as hosts) and 2018, and were runners-up in 2006.
· All three of France's wins in the World Cup semi-finals were by a one-goal margin: 2-1 against Croatia (1998), 1-0 against Portugal (2006) and 1-0 against Belgium (2018). Samuel Umtiti was the matchwinner in St. Petersburg in 2018 (assist by Antoine Griezmann).
· France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow in the 2018 World Cup final. Only once before have consecutive World Cup finals been played by the same teams. West Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 1990 final after they had lost 3-2 to the same opponents in the 1986 final.
· France won two of their four World Cup penalty shootouts: in the 1986 quarter-finals against Brazil and 1998 quarter-finals against Italy. Les Bleus lost their shootouts in the 1982 semi-finals versus West Germany and in the 2006 final versus Italy.
· France conceded exactly one goal in each of their five games at this tournament. The only country to win the World Cup without keeping a single clean sheet that edition were Italy in 1938 (2-1, 3-1, 2-1, 4-2).
· Didier Deschamps is joint-third alongside Mário Zagallo (both 13) in the list of managers to record the most World Cup wins. The top two are Helmut Schön (16) and Luiz Felipe Scolari (14). Note: games decided by a penalty shootout are classed as a draw.
· Five coaches have reached the final at a joint-record two World Cups: Vittorio Pozzo (Italy, 1934 & 1938), Helmut Schön (West Germany, 1966 & 1974), Mário Zagallo (Brazil, 1970 & 1998), Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1986 & 1990) and Carlos Salvador Bilardo (Argentina, 1986 & 1990). Note: Croatia's Zlatko Dalic can join the list on Tuesday 13 December.
Courtesy of Gracenote
· France can reach the World Cup final for the fourth time. Les Bleus progressed from their last three World Cup semi-finals (1998, 2006, 2018), after they were eliminated in the semi-final on their first three attempts (1958, 1982, 1986). France went on to lift the trophy in 1998 (as hosts) and 2018, and were runners-up in 2006.
· All three of France's wins in the World Cup semi-finals were by a one-goal margin: 2-1 against Croatia (1998), 1-0 against Portugal (2006) and 1-0 against Belgium (2018). Samuel Umtiti was the matchwinner in St. Petersburg in 2018 (assist by Antoine Griezmann).
· France beat Croatia 4-2 in Moscow in the 2018 World Cup final. Only once before have consecutive World Cup finals been played by the same teams. West Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 1990 final after they had lost 3-2 to the same opponents in the 1986 final.
· France won two of their four World Cup penalty shootouts: in the 1986 quarter-finals against Brazil and 1998 quarter-finals against Italy. Les Bleus lost their shootouts in the 1982 semi-finals versus West Germany and in the 2006 final versus Italy.
· France conceded exactly one goal in each of their five games at this tournament. The only country to win the World Cup without keeping a single clean sheet that edition were Italy in 1938 (2-1, 3-1, 2-1, 4-2).
· Didier Deschamps is joint-third alongside Mário Zagallo (both 13) in the list of managers to record the most World Cup wins. The top two are Helmut Schön (16) and Luiz Felipe Scolari (14). Note: games decided by a penalty shootout are classed as a draw.
· Five coaches have reached the final at a joint-record two World Cups: Vittorio Pozzo (Italy, 1934 & 1938), Helmut Schön (West Germany, 1966 & 1974), Mário Zagallo (Brazil, 1970 & 1998), Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, 1986 & 1990) and Carlos Salvador Bilardo (Argentina, 1986 & 1990). Note: Croatia's Zlatko Dalic can join the list on Tuesday 13 December.
Courtesy of Gracenote
Head-to-Head: France v Morocco
· France are unbeaten in all five matches against Morocco (W3-D2-L0, game decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw).
· This is the first game between these nations since a 2-2 friendly draw at Stade de France on 16 November 2007. Sidney Govou (15') and Samir Nasri (75') scored for France, and Tarik Sektioui (9') and Youssef Mokhtari (85') netted for Morocco.
· The only other occasion Morocco avoided defeat versus France was in the 1998 King Hassan II International Cup, a four-team friendly tournament held in Casablanca in May that year (the other two teams were Belgium and England). The Atlas Lions won 6-5 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Didier Deschamps started that game for Les Bleus, who went on to win the World Cup a few weeks later.
· France's most recent victory against Morocco was in the final of the 2000 King Hassan II International Cup in Casablanca. The reigning world champions won 5-1 in a game Didier Deschamps came on as a second-half substitute.
· France (W3-D0-L3) are the team to have lost the most World Cup matches versus African opposition. This includes a 1-0 defeat against Tunisia in their final group stage game at this tournament.
· France's only World Cup knockout phase match against African opposition was a 2-0 win versus Nigeria in Brasília in the 2014 round of last 16 (goal by Paul Pogba and own goal by Joseph Yobo).
· Morocco lost only one of their last eight World Cup fixtures versus UEFA opposition (W3-D4-L1, match decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw), a 1-0 defeat against Portugal in the 2018 group stage.
· Morocco's only World Cup match against the reigning champions was a 3-0 defeat versus Brazil in the 1998 group stage.
· Olivier Giroud and Walid Regragui were briefly teammates at Grenoble Foot 38 in 2008. They played together in a pre-season friendly.
· Club teammates who could be in opposition when France face Morocco are Benjamin Pavard/Dayot Upamecano/Kingsley Coman and Noussair Mazraoui (FC Bayern München), Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), and Alphonse Aréola and Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United).
· Based on Gracenote's World Cup predictions, France have a 57% chance to reach the final compared to 43% for Morocco.
Courtesy of Gracenote
· This is the first game between these nations since a 2-2 friendly draw at Stade de France on 16 November 2007. Sidney Govou (15') and Samir Nasri (75') scored for France, and Tarik Sektioui (9') and Youssef Mokhtari (85') netted for Morocco.
· The only other occasion Morocco avoided defeat versus France was in the 1998 King Hassan II International Cup, a four-team friendly tournament held in Casablanca in May that year (the other two teams were Belgium and England). The Atlas Lions won 6-5 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Didier Deschamps started that game for Les Bleus, who went on to win the World Cup a few weeks later.
· France's most recent victory against Morocco was in the final of the 2000 King Hassan II International Cup in Casablanca. The reigning world champions won 5-1 in a game Didier Deschamps came on as a second-half substitute.
· France (W3-D0-L3) are the team to have lost the most World Cup matches versus African opposition. This includes a 1-0 defeat against Tunisia in their final group stage game at this tournament.
· France's only World Cup knockout phase match against African opposition was a 2-0 win versus Nigeria in Brasília in the 2014 round of last 16 (goal by Paul Pogba and own goal by Joseph Yobo).
· Morocco lost only one of their last eight World Cup fixtures versus UEFA opposition (W3-D4-L1, match decided by a penalty shootout classed as a draw), a 1-0 defeat against Portugal in the 2018 group stage.
· Morocco's only World Cup match against the reigning champions was a 3-0 defeat versus Brazil in the 1998 group stage.
· Olivier Giroud and Walid Regragui were briefly teammates at Grenoble Foot 38 in 2008. They played together in a pre-season friendly.
· Club teammates who could be in opposition when France face Morocco are Benjamin Pavard/Dayot Upamecano/Kingsley Coman and Noussair Mazraoui (FC Bayern München), Kylian Mbappé and Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), and Alphonse Aréola and Nayef Aguerd (West Ham United).
· Based on Gracenote's World Cup predictions, France have a 57% chance to reach the final compared to 43% for Morocco.
Courtesy of Gracenote
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