Morocco's fairy-tale run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup came to an end on Wednesday when they were defeated 2-0 by defending champions France. Kylian Mbappe was a threat throughout the game, and he proved to be a key factor in France's victory. France will now face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the final on Sunday.
Mbappe was a picture of class following their historic victory. One of the first things he did after the humiliating defeat was to approach Morocco's right-back Achraf Hakimi and console him. Mbappe knew how bad his PSG teammate must have felt at that precise moment, so the French phenom did everything he could to cheer him up:Following the final whistle, the two exchanged shirts. After swapping jerseys, Kylian Mbappe went a step further by wearing Hakimi's shirt. Hakimi returned the favor by donning Mbappe's No. 10 shirt on his way to the tunnel.Mbappe did not score in this game, but there is no denying that he was a dominant force throughout. In the 79th minute, his deflected shot set up a wide-open tap-in for super-sub Randal Kolo Muani. Morocco was still in the game up until that point, creating half-chance after half-chance. However, Kolo Muani's late goal proved to be the final nail in Morocco's World Cup coffin.
France has now set up a mouthwatering final match against Argentina as a result of their historic victory. Morocco, for their part, will compete for third place against Luka Modric and Croatia.
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FIFA World Cup: We wanted to give our fans a final, says Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat after losing vs France
After losing the semi-final against France, Morocco's star midfielder Sofyan Amarabat stated that he wanted to give Moroccan fans a final to watch. The 2018 World Cup champions defeated Morocco 2-0 to set up a heavyweight clash with Lionel Messi's Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Amrabat stated that he wanted to give Moroccan fans a grand finale (AP)
France took the lead as early as the fifth minute, and it appeared as if the two-time champions would run riot. Morocco, on the other hand, displayed steely nerves and produced a response that rattled Deschamps and his men, who were fortunate to go into the break with a 1-0 scoreline.
France sealed the game with a goal from super sub Randal Kolo Muani on his first touch of the game after Kylian Mbappe's shot was blocked and the rebound fell to Muani, who was unmarked near the far post.
Morocco appeared to have run out of gas after the French second goal, despite having played 120 minutes and penalties in their Round of 16 and quarter-final matches, but they kept making those runs into the attacking third until the end.Sunday's final is set to be a thrilling conclusion to what has been a spectacular World Cup in Qatar, as Lionel Messi's Argentina will be tested by Mbappe's France, who have defied the odds to reach the final despite injuries to several stars.
Les Bleus will attempt to make history by becoming only the third nation to retain their World Cup title, following in the footsteps of Pele's Brazil (1958,1962) and Vittorio Pozzo's Italy (1934,1938).
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