Moroccan players exercise during a training session at the Duhail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. Morocco will face France in a World Cup semifinal soccer match on Dec. 14. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Andre Penner
MONTREAL – Fans of Morocco’s national team say the odds are good that their underdog squad can beat defending World Cup champions France today in the semifinal.
Moroccan Montrealer Bilal Mammes, 33, says Morocco has been put on the international soccer map by being the first Arab and African country to make it this far in the tournament.
Mammes says the colonial history behind the match adds intensity – Morocco was under French rule for 44 years before gaining independence in 1956.
Rémi Coignard-Friedman, 52, a soccer fan who has played and coached the sport, is hoping for his team, France, to come out on top.
He says the game will either be tight or France will take an early lead and dominate throughout the match.
The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. eastern and will decide who will face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday in Qatar.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
