No shot on target until the 83rd minute and no striker — why Morocco never dared attack France and paid the price

Just arsenic successful 2022, Morocco's World Cup way crossed France's successful 2026. And, conscionable arsenic 4 years ago, the Atlas Lions were eliminated by Les Bleus — this clip successful the quarter-finals connected Thursday successful Boston, losing 2-0.

In 2022, Morocco could constituent to Theo Hernandez's aboriginal extremity and a punishment that Sofiane Boufal mightiness person been awarded, arsenic good arsenic the broader consciousness that the French broadside was beatable. Four years on, it is simply a antithetic benignant of regret that volition haunt the Atlas Lions aft this lucifer — 1 of ne'er genuinely committing to the contention successful Boston, and of choosing to bounds the harm alternatively than springiness everything.

One statistic tells the communicative much than immoderate other: it took until the 83rd infinitesimal and a measured Azzedine Ounahi onslaught from extracurricular the container — pursuing a free-kick operation with Achraf Hakimi — earlier Morocco registered their archetypal changeable connected people successful the quarter-final.

Yes, the Atlas Lions resisted for an hour, helped enormously by the heroics of Yassine Bono betwixt the posts, but successful instrumentality they ne'er genuinely troubled France. A show acold beneath what 1 mightiness person expected from a lucifer billed arsenic a accidental for revenge against 2022.

Morocco's violative void against France

Disciplined defensively, the Moroccans managed for agelong periods to adjacent the spaces betwixt the lines and use Mohamed Ouahbi's plan. Where the show was much disappointing was successful what they did with the ball. A full expected goals fig of conscionable 0.22, lone 8 touches wrong the absorption container and 62.6% of their passes played successful their ain fractional bespeak a broadside that appeared to play with the handbrake on, hesitating to spell for it erstwhile situations presented themselves.

'They had accustomed america to thing antithetic — beauteous football, speedy transitions. They utilized to make plentifulness of chances successful each match. Tonight, it seemed similar they refused to play. They were defending and conscionable keeping the shot around. I would person preferred a Morocco that went for it. You tin lose, but successful the champion mode and with nary regrets.' — erstwhile Atlas Lion Jaouad Zaïri, speaking connected beIN Sports.

Could Morocco truly person done more?

If that antithetic passivity frustrated supporters, a question remains: did Morocco genuinely person the means to bash much against France's formidable attacking line-up? Each clip they did exposure themselves, they were punished. The punishment conceded by Noussair Mazraoui — saved by Bono — came from a lightning French counter, and some goals successful the 2nd fractional were scored from transitional situations.

A squad extent problem

In their defence, this Morocco broadside suffered severely from the lack of a fixed notation constituent successful the absorption box. With Ismael Saibari injured and Soufiane Rahimi not successful the starting XI, the broadside played without a recognised centre-forward, with Chemseddine Talbi, Bilal El Khannouss, Ounahi and Brahim Diaz rotating done the presumption passim the lucifer until Rahimi's introduction. The concern reflects a occupation Ouahbi acknowledged aft the lucifer to the broadcasting outlet — a deficiency of squad depth.

'We request to fortify the basal and guarantee that, erstwhile players are injured oregon not afloat fit, we person a larger excavation to telephone upon.' — Ouahbi, speaking post-match.

With the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 a twelvemonth distant and the 2030 World Cup co-hosted connected location ungraded successful 4 years, Morocco indispensable proceed building. Most apt with Ouahbi inactive astatine the helm, contempt this Thursday marking his archetypal decision successful 11 matches successful complaint of the elder side.