France defeats Morocco to advance to World Cup semifinals
via SeneNews2 min read
France secured a spot in the World Cup semifinals after defeating Morocco in a highly anticipated quarter-final match. Coach Didier Deschamps made one change to his usual lineup, starting Désiré Doué over Bradley Barcola. Morocco, led by Mohamed Ouahbi, was without key players Chadi Riad and Ismael Saibari, leading to a tactical reshuffle with Mazraoui repositioned and El Khannouss playing upfront. France started strong, with Dayot Upamecano forcing a save from Yassine Bounou early on. Despite a penalty miss by Kylian Mbappé in the 25th minute, saved by Bounou, and a shot from Lucas Digne hitting the crossbar, France maintained pressure. The breakthrough came in the 60th minute when Mbappé scored with a curling shot from outside the box. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé extended France's lead to 2-0 after receiving a pass from Mbappé. With a comfortable lead, France managed the rest of the game, securing their progression to the semifinals where they will face the winner of the match between Spain and Belgium. Morocco's World Cup journey ends in the quarter-finals, similar to their 2022 performance.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by SeneNews.
Controversy has arisen following the match between France and Morocco, with Moroccan supporters and coach Mohamed Ouahbi alleging a handball by Adrien Rabiot before Kylian Mbappé's goal. Social media users from Morocco claimed the play leading to the French goal should have been stopped due to a handball. Coach Ouahbi stated, "Some players stopped because there was a handball in France's box. And there was clearly a handball! I don't know why they didn't disallow Mbappé's goal." However, an analysis by Archivo VAR, a source specializing in refereeing decisions, offers a different perspective. Archivo VAR explained that Rabiot touched the ball with his hand after it first bounced off his foot. According to arbitration rules, an accidental handball by a player who does not score directly and is not the goal scorer cannot be penalized in this type of situation. Therefore, the Video Assistant Referee could not intervene to disallow the goal. Despite protests from the Moroccan side, the technical analysis concludes that Kylian Mbappé's goal remains valid under the video assistance protocol.
Must ReadFollowing the Constitutional Council's ruling that declared the constitutional revision law unconstitutional, National Assembly President Ousmane Sonko has called a meeting of the parliamentary institution's bureau. The meeting is scheduled for Friday, July 10, at 3 PM in the conference room of the National Assembly Presidency. The official summons, dated July 9, 2026, specifies the meeting details but does not yet outline the agenda. This convocation occurs after the Constitutional Council found that the procedure for adopting the constitutional revision text by the National Assembly did not comply with constitutional requirements. Sonko had previously reacted to the decision by urging respect for the Constitutional Council's ruling, stating that "This decision is binding on everyone" and assuring that the parliamentary institution would continue its duties. The bureau meeting is expected to address the institutional next steps following this decision, which halts the constitutional revision process initiated by the deputies.
France extended its lead against Morocco with a second decisive goal, bringing the score to 2-0. In the 66th minute, Ousmane Dembélé, assisted by Kylian Mbappé, scored for the French team. Mbappé found Dembélé between the lines, who then advanced with the ball towards the center before taking a shot towards the right side of the goal. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was unable to prevent the ball from entering the net, despite a slight touch. This goal further solidified France's advantage in the match, highlighting their offensive effectiveness.