Theo Hernández of France celebrates after scoring the staff’s first objective throughout the 2022 World Cup semifinal between France and Morocco on December 14, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.

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Theo Hernández of France celebrates after scoring the staff’s first objective throughout the 2022 World Cup semifinal between France and Morocco on December 14, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.

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AL KHOR, Qatar — France is heading again to the World Cup Final and aiming to do one thing that hasn’t been accomplished in 60 years – repeat as World Cup champions. France is making a return journey after defeating Morocco 2-0 within the semifinal.

It did not take lengthy for France to silence the overwhelmingly pro-Morocco crowd at Al Bayt Stadium.

In the fifth minute, the Moroccan protection let a ball scoot by to French ahead Antoine Griezmann who handed it to Kylian Mbappé. Defenders swarmed him however he nonetheless managed a shot, deflecting it to Theo Hernández. He elevated and despatched the ball with a soaring left-footed scissor kick past keeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou to attain 1-0.

It was the primary time Morocco had trailed within the match.

Morocco’s protection and goalkeeping have been stellar this World Cup. Morocco hadn’t allowed a single objective by an opponent the complete match till the semifinal. They shut out European soccer powerhouses: Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. Canada is the one staff credited with a rating – nevertheless it was an personal objective, put within the internet by a Moroccan participant.

The first half objective wasn’t the one down second for the Atlas Lions. In the twenty first minute, Morocco made an early substitution changing their captain Romain Saiss who was injured (one other defender, Nayef Aguerd, was pulled from the beginning listing simply earlier than kickoff additionally attributable to an harm).

Kylian Mbappe (#10) of France competes for the ball in opposition to Achraf Dari (#20) and Azzedine Ounahi (#8) of Morocco throughout the World Cup semifinal match on December 14, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.

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Kylian Mbappe (#10) of France competes for the ball in opposition to Achraf Dari (#20) and Azzedine Ounahi (#8) of Morocco throughout the World Cup semifinal match on December 14, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar.

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France continued the assault the remainder of the half. All-time French scoring chief Olivier Giroud had two golden possibilities – together with a zinger that bounced off the left put up.

Morocco’s greatest alternative to attain got here within the forty third minute. Jawad El Yamiq had a phenomenal bicycle kick off a nook kick that appeared to shock everybody besides French keeper Hugo Lloris who simply pushed it away.

Morocco began the second half with likelihood after likelihood after likelihood in entrance of the French objective. The delight of Africa performed with renewed power and enthusiasm and managed to maintain the reigning champions on the defensive however they nonetheless couldn’t discover a option to rating.

But France did. In the 79th minute, Mbappé zipped across the Moroccan protection and powered by means of a shot that fell to the toes Randal Kolo Muani who calmly kicked it in to present France a 2-0 lead. Kolo Muani had substituted into the sport only a minute earlier than.

Morocco got here into the match in opposition to France unbeaten in its final ten video games (7 wins, 3 attracts) and the primary African nation to advance to a World Cup semifinal. They had been additionally simply the third nation outdoors of Europe or South America to succeed in this deep into the match (USA 1930 & South Korea 2002).

This was the seventh time France had reached the semifinal of a World Cup. It misplaced the primary three (Brazil 1958, West Germany in 1982 and 1986). But it gained the subsequent 4 (Croatia 1998, Portugal, 2006, Belgium 2018 and Morocco 2022).

Even with the loss, Morocco has yet one more World Cup recreation to play – within the third place match in opposition to Croatia on Saturday.

The remaining is Sunday with France taking over Argentina and their star Lionel Messi who’s looking for his first World Cup title.

Tom Goldman contributed reporting from Al Khor, Qatar, and Russell Lewis reported from Birmingham, Ala.