France Coach Deschamps Cautious Ahead of World Cup Semifinal Against Morocco

By outclassing Portugal on Saturday in the World Cup quarter-finals, Morocco finds itself in the tournament’s final four, alongside Croatia, Argentina and France, its future semi-final opponent. The Blues also beat England 2-1 in the other quarter-final of the day.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Didier Deschamps said that after the euphoria, they will have to quickly focus on what’s next. As defending champions, the Blues want to keep the trophy in Paris. What’s next for the former France captain is Morocco. A team he fears, given their run in the competition, he said.

"We will prepare the semi-final very seriously, because Morocco deserves the recognition of everyone. It may not have been one of the teams expected at this level of the competition, but when you face the teams they have met, have their results and have conceded only one goal in five matches, we can no longer say that it is a surprise," warned the French coach.