France 2 (Theo Hernandez 5th min, Randal Kolo Muani 79th min) Morocco 0
FULLTIME - A mountain too steep for the Moroccans, as the champion class of France comes to the fore. They'll take on Argentina with a chance to win a second straight World Cup. Click here for a full wrap and highlights.
90th min - Six minutes of added time to be played.
85th min - Morocco pressing forward desperately now.
79th min - GOOOOOOOAL FRANCE! - Mbappe comes alive in the box, dancing amid defenders. the ball is deflected right into the path of substitute Kolo Muani to slide home what should be the winner for France.
75th min - Another chance goes begging for Morocco. Ounahi delays his shot too long and France are allowed to swarm in defence.
72nd min - Griezmann from a free kick again, this time gets it right on the mark but Thuram can't get his header on to a gaping goal.
69th min - France free kick. Griezmann's cross leaves a little to be desired. Back to Mbappe it comes, he moves onto his left foot and gets a shot off but a sliding block denies him.
67th min - Clever ball from Ziyech, Lloris again on hand to snuff out what could have been a clear header on goal.
62nd min - Ounahi makes a run into the box, well defended yet again. Ziyech delivers a searching cross, header doesn't find its target and France clear.
60th min - The Moroccan fans are really finding their voice now, willing their team forward - and it seems to be doing the trick.
57th min - Morocco constructing some threatening attacking raids here, they have the French defence scrambling inside the box.
53rd min - Huge chance for Morocco! Cross looked to be headed for a tap in only for Konate to make a critical intervention.
51st min - Mbappe makes another incredible run to the edge of the box before being taken down in a borderline challenge. He's still down on the pitch clutching his ankle as play continues.
47th min - Mbappe accelerates clear from two defenders, dances down the line but can't find a teammate with his cross. The man is a blur.
46th min - Here we go - can the Moroccans get back into this or will France advance to their second straight final?
Second half underway...
HALFTIME - France took the early lead but Morocco have responded well, particularly in the latter stages of the half. You get the sense there are more goals to come in this contest.
48th min - Promising period here to close the half by Morocco. Free kick whipped into the box, Lloris punches it clear.
46th min - Three added minutes to be played and another corner for Morocco. Lloris gets high to deflect it down and into his grasp.
44th min - Powerful run into the box by Hakimi, Konate does well to slide and put it out for a corner kick.
Ball headed clear and Ziyech unleashes a spectacular overhead kick that Lloris extends to full stretch to get a hand to. That was incredible, denied by a fingertip.
42nd min - France have created a few chances to extend their lead before halftime but haven't been able to convert. Could those come back to haunt them? One goal is never enough, particularly against a team like Morocco.
39th min - Griezmann streaks into the box, well tackled. Corner kick. Griezmann's delivery is low, Varane tries to redirect it on goal but can't find the angle.
36th min - Blistering break from Mbappe, his shot rebounds to Giroud who has a golden opportunity on goal but can't put it on target. Huge let-off for Morocco there.
33rd min - Clumsy challenge on Giroud. France go quickly, deflection on the cross earns them their first corner of the game.
Ball fumbles to Fofana, who skies his shot.
30th min - France understandably in no hurry, working the ball around the midfield. Morocco win possession, some deft touches to get the ball into the box but offside kills their momentum.
28th min - Fun fact: Hernandez's goal was the fastest in a semi-final since 1958.
25th min - Ziyech wins a free kick after shutting down a trademark Mbappe surge.
23rd min - Morocco threaten on the edge of the box. A few too many touches however, and Hernandez breaks up the attack.
21st min - Big blow here for Morocco, whose talismanic skipper Romain Saiss concedes to injury and leaves the match. He was a surprise starter here today but never looked comfortable.
17th min - Giroud sneaks a shot away and hits the left post! France very close to doubling their lead there.
14th min - Hakimi wins a free kick on the right wing after being fouled by Fofana. Delivery well handled by the French defence.
10th min - Ounahi unleashes a shot from long range and forces a save from Lloris, no teammate on hand for the rebound. Great strike, great save.
8th min - The Moroccan fans are undeterred, support at deafening levels right now. Incredibly, that's the first goal they've conceded at the tournament.
4th min - GOOOOOOOOAL FRANCE - Griezmann delivers from the right, Mbappe has his shot blocked but Hernandez does brilliantly to get blast a high-bouncing ball back into the net on an acute angle. What a start for the champs.
3rd min - Amrabat makes a surging run down the left flank. Morocco throw in on the offensive but are swiftly pressed back into their own territory.
1st min - Morocco get us started. Can they pull off another stunner here today?
We're underway...
7:58am - Rousing renditions of both national anthems are done and dusted, let's get into some high-stakes football.
7:52am - The mandatory pyrotechnics are about to conclude, the teams preparing to make their entrance to the pitch.
7:40am - Morena, football fans! We're about 20 minutes away from kick-off. Both teams have now confirmed their squads.
Morocco captain Romain Saiss and centre back partner Nayef Aguerd have been passed fit to play, while France have been forced into two changes.
French-born Saiss was carried off in Morocco's quarter-final win over Portugal on Sunday, after starting the game with a heavily strapped thigh, while Aguerd suffered a hamstring injury in the last-16 win over Spain and missed the last match.
Morocco kept Jawad El Yamiq in the line-up, meaning they will play five at the back, looking to continue the stalwart defensive performances that have taken them through to the last four at the tournament in Qatar.
Noussair Mazraoui returns at left back after missing the last match with a gastro infection with Yahya Attiat-Allah unlucky to lose his place after creating the winner in the quarter-final. Selim Amallah is the other player dropped to the bench.
France have made two changes after Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano caught colds and missed training on Monday and Tuesday.
Rabiot is replaced in midfield by Youssouf Fofana and defender Ibrahima Konate comes in for Upamecano.
France: Hugo Lloris (c), Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate, Theo Hernandez, Antoine Griezmann, Aurelien Tchouameni, Youssouf Fofana, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe
Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Achraf Hakimi, Jawad El Yamiq, Nayef Aguerd, Romain Saiss (c), Noussair Mazraoui, Sofyan Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, Azzedine Ounahi, Soufiane Boufal, Youssef En-Nesyri
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Kia ora and welcome to our live updates of the second Football World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco.
The Moroccans - who, incredibly, are yet to concede a goal at the tournament- have been one of the fairytale stories in Qatar, which has provided no shortage of shocking results.
They stunned Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals to become the first African team in history to reach the final four.
But the Atlas Lions will need to elevate their performance to yet another level against defending champions France.
Led by the inimitable Kylian Mbappe, France are fresh off a 2-1 quarter-final win over England are now just two wins away from becoming the first back-to-back World Cup winners since Italy in 1938.
Who will move on to face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the final?
Join us from 8am for all of the action
TAB betting odds:
France - $1.22 Morocco - $4.20
France possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
Morocco possible starting lineup:
Bono; Hakimi, El Yamiq, Aguerd, Mazraoui; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Bromance on hold as Mbappe and Hakimi lock horns
Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi will put their friendship aside when France play Morocco in the World Cup semi-finals on Thursday (NZ time) and both may try to honour a promise they made.
"After we play against Morocco, I have to destroy my friend," Mbappe said in a video on a trip to Qatar in January with their club Paris St Germain.
"I'm going to kick him," a smiling Hakimi responded.
With Mbappe on the left flank of France's attack, he will cross paths with right back Hakimi, the player he took under his wing when the Moroccan joined PSG from Inter Milan in 2021.
The pair sit next to each other on plane trips, they play video games and holiday together.
Although Morocco will not have any special plan to shackle Mbappe, as England did with Kyle Walker in close attendance and doubling down on him in their 2-1 quarter-final loss, coach Walid Regragui has complete faith in Hakimi.
"I have no doubt that Hakimi will be on top form to get the better of his friend," Regragui told a news conference on Wednesday.
Mbappe has scored five goals and delivered two assists at this World Cup while Hakimi has been key in helping Morocco concede only 10 shots on target in their five matches.
Hakimi celebrated his winning penalty against Spain in the last 16 by imitating a penguin - something he does with Mbappe and Sergio Ramos at PSG.
Mbappe, who also visited Hakimi at his hotel in Doha on one of his days off at the World Cup, was among the first to congratulate him when Morocco qualified for the quarter-finals.
France captain Hugo Lloris is confident their friendship will be put on hold at the Al Bayt stadium.
"The event will take over. Even if you're friends off the pitch, it's the World Cup so you separate the two," he told a news conference.
Reuters.
