WORLD CUP: IF MOROCCO KEEPS UP ITS CURRENT FORM, THEY CAN DEFEAT FRANCE

As the fight for the prized prize approaches the penultimate round, Manu Garba, the U-17 World Cup-winning coach of Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, thinks Morocco, Africa’s last hope in the current World Cup, has what it takes to defeat France.

When Morocco overcame Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portuguese teammates to get to the FIFA World Cup semifinals, they created history.

Once that obstacle has been overcome, there is still a much larger and more difficult obstacle to overcome before they can make history against France on Wednesday at the Al Bayt stadium.

Walid Regragui and his players have adopted the moniker “giant killers” after winning matches against Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, and they now aim to add France to the list.

Garba, who has experience winning a world championship, cited potential advantages for Morocco over the reigning champs.

“Morocco has performed really well, and a victory there would advance them to the final. After defeating teams like Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, I think the Moroccan team has gained confidence, the 2015 u-20 African Championship winning coach told Vanguard in an exclusive interview.

Morocco speaks Arabic and French and is familiar with the French style of play, so I believe they have a chance to advance to the final against the defending champions France. If they can contain Mbappe, Morocco will advance to the championship game.

Ranked 22nd, Morocco’s advancement to the semi-final guarantees Africa at least a fourth-place finish in this year’s competition and an additional spot in 2026.

It is the first time the two teams have faced each other at a World Cup, and if Morocco defeats Didier Deschamps’ team, they will face either Croatia or Argentina in the Sunday final.