Jacques Vendroux with AFP
modified to
12:21 p.m., December 14, 2022
The French champion facing the little Moroccan thumb. This is the surprise of this 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The appointment is given this Wednesday evening for the semi-final. A crucial match for which the Blues are preparing. After a rather quiet morning, between discussions and card games, the day for the France team should be punctuated by a quick lunch, mental preparation and then an arrival at the stadium an hour and a half before the match. Didier Deschamps should also announce the composition of his team at that time.
Symbolic confrontation
The “confrontation is loaded with symbols”, according to Provence. And Morocco “wants to write history, to put Africa on top of the world”, proclaims the Franco-Moroccan coach of the Atlas Lions, Walid Regragui. “We may be crazy, but it’s good to be crazy”. To the Moroccan madness, France opposes a solid experience, an irreproachable state of mind, a panel of dashing thirty-somethings with Antoine Griezmann, Hugo Lloris, Olivier Giroud and Raphaël Varane, and a superstar, Mbappé.
The Paris SG striker is two wins away from becoming a football legend by becoming double world champion before his 24th birthday, like the Brazilian Pelé in 1962. But the latter had hardly played during his second World Cup , diminished by an injury. Mbappé, on the contrary, flies over the competition, with five goals in five matches (as many as Messi in six matches), nine in total in two editions. The winner of the match will face Argentina in the final on Sunday.
For Europe 1 consultant Wendie Renard, the script is far from written. “It’s not going to be an easy match so the ideal would be to start well, to score quickly if possible. Morocco are a team with quality players, we will have to keep the balance of the team and have a counter with players like Mbappé, Dembelé, being patient, calm and serene with the ball,” she said.