Morocco out to erase painful memories of 2022 against France

Dubai: While Morocco will look back at their historic run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals with a huge sense pride, it ultimately ended in heartbreak at the hands of France, the very nation standing between them and another slice of history in 2026.

The Atlas Lions shocked the world in 2022 by becoming the first African nation in history to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final, rewriting the record books with a groundbreaking run in Qatar.

It was at this stage where Morocco's journey came to an end, as goals from Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani secured a 2-0 victory for France, ending the nations historic World Cup campaign.

Four years later, the Atlas Lions have now proved they belong among football's elite, but they cannot allow the ghosts of their 2022 heartbreak to derail another opportunity to make World Cup history.

Morocco's history in general against France offers little encouragement for the nation.

The two countries first met in 1988, France also came out on top in friendlies in 1999 and 2000, with Les Bleus claiming a 2-1 victory, with Morocco earning back-to-back 2-2 draws in 1998 and 2007.

However, it is their most recent meeting that will sting the most.

After defeating Spain on penalties and overcoming Cristino Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals, Morocco stood just one win away from an unprecedented place in the final.

Only seven members of Morocco's 2026 World Cup squad were part of the group that suffered semi-final heartbreak against France in Qatar four years ago.

While that defeat may still be fresh in the minds of those players, they cannot allow the disappointment of 2022 to weigh them down.

Instead, the Atlas Lions must use it as a valuable learning experience. Having already shown they can compete with the world's elite once again, Morocco should believe they have what it takes to go one step further this time.

One of the biggest lessons from that semi-final was the importance of staying in the contest for as long as possible.

Morocco found themselves behind inside the opening 10 minutes when Hernández struck for France, immediately forcing them to chase the game against one of international football's most dangerous counter-attacking sides.

While containing France's wealth of attacking talent will be no easy task, the longer the Atlas Lions can keep Les Bleus at bay, the greater their chances of causing an upset. The early setback in 2022 played perfectly into France's hands, allowing them to sit back, absorb pressure and eventually seal the victory through Randal Kolo Muani on the break.

This time, Morocco will know that patience and defensive discipline will be just as important as anything they produce going forward.