In a shocking upset, Morocco managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup to meet France. The two countries have a deep historical entanglement, France had played the role of Morocco's protector between 1912 and 1956, which was in fact the occupation of the region, and Spain jointly divided this North African country, until 1956 Morocco realized the real unity and independence.
Morocco is deeply imbued with French culture, and French is still one of the common languages in the country. This time, the two teams face each other as if it were a "French AB team" competition.
Morocco has long been known as the "French B team", with current manager Gerlach born in France and having played mainly for French teams during his playing days. Captain Lou Mansas and striker Paufal were also born in France, and there are currently five players in the national team playing in Ligue 1, including Paris Saint-Germain's right-back Ashraf, who is valued at 70 million euros. Manager Gerlach and the players know the French style of soccer inside out, which will help them develop targeted tactics during the game.
In the round of 16, Morocco eliminated another "former sovereign", Spain. So, will they be able to play a wonderful "War of Independence" again in the quarterfinals and beat France? Let's wait and see.
