Defending champions France entered the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 by defeating Morocco 2-0 in the semi-finals held at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor City, Qatar on Wednesday night.
France made a flying start after Theo Hernandez scored a goal in the fifth minute of the first half giving the team a 1-0 lead. Underdog Morocco came under pressure after the referee gave a yellow card to Sofiane Boufal in the 27-minute. Randal Kolo Muani doubled the score for France in the 79th minute of the second half. Despite some beautiful opportunities, Morocco could not score any goals against the opponent.
With the win, France will now lock horns with Argentina for the title in Sunday's showpiece final. The final will be played at Lusail Stadium at 8:45 pm on Sunday.
France are the reigning champions and the bookmakers’ favorites to win the tournament in Qatar. Morocco have never beaten France. The last time they played each other was at the Stade de France in 2007 in a game that finished 2-2.
Earlier, France defeated England 2-1 in a tight game in the quarter-finals to reach the semi-final.They beat Australia 2-1, Denmark 2-1, lose to Tunisia 0-1 in the group stage matches to advance into the Round of 16. Similarly, they defeated Poland 3-1 in the Round of 16 to advance into the quarter-finals.
Moroccan trounced Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals match, becoming the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
Earlier, Morocco held Croatia to a goalless draw, beat Belgium 2-0 and Canada 2-1 in the group-stage matches to qualify for the Round of 16. They defeated Spain 3-0 on penalties in the Round of 16 to book berth in the quarter-finals.
With the loss to France, Morocco will now play for the third place with Croatia at 8:45 pm on Saturday.
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