There was a lot of hype going into this match, but it ended up being a strange one to watch.
Morocco were the last remaining African side, having knocked out the Netherlands and thrashed Canada, as well as producing impressive performances in the group stage. It felt very flat and negative from their side, and I don’t think that’s just about who they were missing.
Morocco were without Ismael Saibari through injury, and that hurt them. But even accounting for that, this was a team that barely tried to progress the ball beyond their own half. It felt more like an international friendly than two teams fighting for a place in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
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Morocco’s only real moments came from a Azzedine Ounahi free kick and a Neil El Aynaoui header that went narrowly wide. Beyond that, Yassine Bounou was the only reason the scoreline stayed respectable. Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, Morocco’s main outlets, barely had a meaningful touch in France’s half.
France have been the best team in the competition, so going toe to toe with them would have been a huge risk, but Morocco still lost 2-0. I struggle to see what the benefit was of sitting so deep and offering so little going forward. They sacrificed everything and still ended up with a performance and result that were far from respectable.
Kylian Mbappe missed his first half penalty, and that felt like the moment for Morocco to seize the game. They never took it, and the longer that spell of pressure passed without them making it count, the more inevitable France’s breakthrough felt. Mbappe scored the opener anyway just after the hour, before setting up Ousmane Dembele for the second six minutes later.
France’s depth, with Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola, made the eventual outcome feel inevitable. But that shouldn’t excuse how little Morocco offered in return.
Not many expected them to win, but we did expect a contest. What promised to be a genuine spectacle never arrived, with very little energy and even less fight, and that is on Morocco as much as it is a credit to France.
Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
