France beat Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday, December 14, to set up a World Cup final showdown against Argentina and Lionel Messi.
Theo Hernandez put the defending champions ahead in the fifth minute after Morocco failed to clear their lines and substitute Randal Kolo Muani doubled their lead in the 79th minute.
Morocco has had to replace two center backs, Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saiss. Aguerd took part in the warmup but didn’t start the game and Saiss came off in the 21st with a hamstring injury.
Jawad El Yamiq hit the post for Morocco with an overhead kick in the 44th minute at Al Bayt Stadium. The winner will play Argentina in in the final on Sunday at Lusail Stadium.
Before the match, France made two changes to their starting line-up for Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against Morocco, with Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano both dropping out of the side due to illness.
Youssouf Fofana came into the midfield in place of Rabiot, who had appeared in all five of France’s matches previously at the tournament but was not even listed among the substitutes for the game at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool took the place of Upamecano alongside Raphael Varane in central defense, although the Bayern Munich man was at least named on the bench. It is just a seventh cap for Monaco midfielder Fofana, and the sixth cap for Konate, as the holders look to secure a place in Sunday’s final against Argentina.
The rest of coach Didier Deschamps’ starting XI was the same as against England in the quarter-final when they won 2-1 thanks to a late Olivier Giroud goal.
Morocco are the first African team and the first Arab team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.
Defender Noussair Mazraoui returned from the injury that ruled him out of the 1-0 win over Portugal in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, Nayef Aguerd had initially been named in the line-up only to drop out at the last minute with Achraf Dari playing instead.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui opted for a three-man central defense, with captain Romain Saiss fit to start after picking up a knock against Portugal. Midfielder Selim Amallah dropped to the bench, along with full-back Yahya Attiat-Allah.
Starting line-ups:
France (4-3-3)
Hugo Lloris (capt); Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez; Antoine Griezmann, Aurelien Tchouameni, Youssouf Fofana; Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe
Coach: Didier Deschamps (FRA)
Morocco (3-4-3)
Yassine Bounou; Jawad El Yamiq, Romain Saiss (capt), Achraf Dari; Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Noussair Mazraoui; Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal
Coach: Walid Regragui (MAR)
Referee: Cesar Ramos (MEX)
