By Preview by VICTOR ENYINNAYA on December 14, 2022

The second semi-final game of the ongoing World Cup football summit in Qatar between Africa’s representative, Morocco and defending champions, France will be on stage today and it promises to be one difficult match to linger for long time to come.

For the records, the French national side could be safely referred to as fortified African team as the majority of players in their national team are of African descent and so it won’t be an easy game.

You can vividly bear me out that the way and manner the defending champions play could be traced to how African teams display. Their strength is also typically African too. Truth is that on paper, the French team is far ahead their day’s opponent in all departments and statistics have also backed the above claim too. Morocco, the fact remains that football as an unpredictable game may hold a different ball game.

It will not be out of place to say that Morocco will be going into today’s game as an underdog. The African team has no strong record in this tournament and so all odds are against them.

But the Atlas Lions team has come a long way deferring all predictions in the pre-tournaments by different buffs. The African team has not minded all these but has been blazing the trail to come thus far.

Note that enroute to this semi-final status, Africa and her team have achieved in Qatar World Cup competition stopped two European teams former World Cup Champions, Spain and the other Portugal to pair France for this now or never encounter.

The above has shown the fact that after all, Morocco is not a nobody in the game and any opponent that takes the Atlas Lions for granted must pay dearly. From the ongoing so far, the African side has not fared badly as it has maintained tight defence formation amongst the teams in the tournament.

Of importance also is the performance of her forward and other critical departments in the field of play. Yes, France is the defending champions however, the pressure will be more on it to avoid a possible upset from an upcoming  African team.

The nitty-gritty of the fact remains that today’s second semi-final World Cup match between these two teams may after all turn out not to be a one-sided affair as both sides try each other for size. The issue of under rating will be ruled out as any of them that engage in such dangerous move would have itself to blame at the end of proceedings.

One thing that would make this game so outstanding is the way and manner officiating would be. However, I think that if officiating is fair enough, any of the teams confronting each other may carry the day.

One believes that the organisers are aware that the game has been growing as the traditional team of development has added more vigour and vitality to the most watched and followed game in the globe.

And so, it would only be fair enough if the teams playing today are given equal treatment.  Africa deserves enough encouragement having against all negative predications by bookmakers and sundry entered into four topmost teams in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Head or tail, nobody would readily stick out his neck to predict where victory pendulum would swing to; truth being that nobody would like to bring out his neck for the kill. We have seen how teams have played and also judging from sometimes the unreliability of the round leather game in recent times, one would say that any team that made less mistakes and play its normal game according to match plan and instruction by the technical bench would carry the day.

This reporter knows for sure that Morocco will give great account of itself knowing the enormous gains that accrue to it. The African hopeful has a good team that its confidence has grown real big of late and so France would not intimidate it for any reason. The French team doesn’t play with both legs at the same time after all. With determination, focus, dedication and face their opponent as never before, Morocco has the capacity to do well in this semi-final game.

Morocco must brace up decisively and also face France squarely. The African team has all it takes to face the current World Cup defending champions. Africans are solidly behind her team Morocco on the verge of making history. Go, Morocco, go!!

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted December 14, 2022

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