Kylian Mbappe overcame a missed penalty to inspire France to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco in Boston, sending Didier Deschamps’ side into the World Cup semi-finals. Goals from Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele in the second half settled the quarter-final, with the French captain now on eight goals for the tournament.
France won an early penalty when Mbappe was brought down inside the box, but his soft effort was kept out by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. It didn’t matter in the end. Mbappe made amends just after the hour, finding the far corner to break the deadlock, before setting up Dembele to add a second soon after.
Morocco, missing the injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create clear chances of their own. Lucas Digne came closest for the Atlas Lions, rattling the crossbar with a swerving effort from range before the break, but they couldn’t find a way back into the game.
Mbappe was substituted late on and appeared to be carrying a knock, sparking some concern among rival fans, though he later played it down. “I have a minor ankle injury, but I am completely fine,” he said, adding that Jean-Philippe Mateta was simply better placed to see out the remaining minutes.
With eight goals and three assists at this World Cup, Mbappe continues his pursuit of the Golden Ball and Golden Boot as France close in on a third straight final. They will face the winner of Spain versus Belgium in the last four.
Morocco’s head coach Mohamed Ouahbi struck a defiant tone in defeat, insisting the team’s run reflects a wider sense of pride. “We know we represent more than just one country,” he said. “We represent the Moroccan people, and many countries across Asia and Africa… we’ll keep working to win titles in the future.”
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