FRANCE DEFEAT MOROCCO TO REACH 2026 WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
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Agency Report
France secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Morocco 2-0 in their quarter-final clash in Boston, USA, on Thursday.
Second-half goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé ensured Les Bleus progressed to the last four, where they will face either Spain or Belgium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.
Didier Deschamps’ side dominated possession and created the better chances throughout the encounter but found Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in inspired form during the opening half.
France had an opportunity to break the deadlock in the 28th minute after being awarded a penalty, but Mbappé’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Bounou.
The African champions held firm until halftime but eventually succumbed to France’s sustained pressure. Mbappé finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark with a superb right-footed strike from the edge of the box that beat Bounou.
Paris Saint-Germain winger Dembélé doubled France’s advantage six minutes later, driving forward from midfield before calmly slotting a low finish into the bottom corner to seal the victory.
Morocco, who had been widely tipped to challenge France’s ambitions of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final, struggled to threaten throughout the contest. Their first shot on target came in the 83rd minute when France goalkeeper Mike Maignan pushed away Azzedine Ounahi’s free-kick.
France will now await the winner of Friday’s quarter-final between European champions Spain and Belgium in Los Angeles.
Spain head into the contest boasting one of the tournament’s best defensive records, having yet to concede a goal, while Belgium reached the quarter-finals after a commanding 4-1 victory over the United States.
Elsewhere, defending champions Argentina will face Switzerland in Saturday’s quarter-final in Kansas City after staging a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16.
The dramatic victory sparked controversy, with Egypt coach Hossam Hassan alleging that refereeing decisions favoured Argentina due to external influence. However, FIFA’s Head of Refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, dismissed the claims, insisting that the integrity and independence of World Cup match officials could not be questioned.
The winners of the Argentina-Switzerland tie will face either Norway or England, who also meet on Saturday in Miami.
England will have the difficult task of containing Norway striker Erling Haaland, who has been one of the standout performers of the tournament. Ahead of the clash, Haaland insisted the pressure rested firmly on England, describing the Three Lions as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
AFP
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