Soccer
How can Morocco stop World Cup favourites France and avenge 2022 defeat?
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Four years ago, Morocco upset the odds at the World Cup, knocking out Spain and Portugal before falling to tournament favourites France in the semi-finals.
Both sides look almost unrecognisable now as they prepare to meet in the quarter-finals, but Didier Deschamps' side are still the team to beat in North America.
Paraguay came close to stopping Les Bleus in the Round of 16, with their rough-and-tough method frustrating Kylian Mbappe and co, but they still found a way via the penalty spot.
The Atlas Lions are a different entity to the team that fell to a 2-0 defeat in Qatar, but how do they halt the deadliest attack in world football?
The frightening numbers behind France's World Cup success
Before the World Cup had even kicked off, everyone was looking at France's attack in awe, and it is safe to say they have not disappointed in front of goal.
Heading into the quarter-finals, Les Bleus rank as the tournament's joint-top goalscorers alongside champions Argentina, with Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele in the top five individual scorers.
Furthermore, Bundesliga Player of the Year Michael Olise has been orchestrating the midfield, notching five assists, more than any player at the tournament.
The clearest sign of their potency is that they are far exceeding their xG of 10.7, highlighting the fact that their attacking talent can find the net from the tightest of angles.
However, Norway and Paraguay found ways to disrupt Deschamps' men, and Morocco should provide France with their sternest test of the competition.
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Morocco have the tools to upset Les Bleus
Nobody expected the Atlas Lions to go on the journey they did four years ago, but now it would be foolish not to take Mohamed Ouahbi's side seriously.
Morocco are currently AFCON champions, although that could change after Senegal's appeal, and they are sixth in the FIFA rankings ahead of Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands.
They are also unbeaten in their last 34, the longest streak of any side in the tournament, a run stretching all the way back to January 2023 when they were beaten by South Africa in the AFCON quarter-finals.
The Atlas Lions have already claimed one major scalp in the Netherlands, and if they repeat that performance against France, then they will have a chance of reaching the last four for a second successive time.
Norway and Paraguay both caused Les Bleus problems, albeit with contrasting styles, with Ståle Solbakken's men carving out several dangerous opportunities while the South Americans defended resolutely.
However, this is Morocco. They possess the quality to take the game to France, and if it goes the distance, then they have a penalty-saving expert in Yassine Bounou who has triumphed in nine of 10 shootouts for club and country.
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Their biggest stars, Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, have both been heavily influential, with two goals and five assists between them, but it has been their lesser-known assets who have also caused problems.
Ismael Saibari, who recently signed for Bayern Munich, will be a significant absentee as he is suspended for the clash. The 25-year-old has three goals to his name and was devastating in the group stage, and his ability on the break will be a sore miss for his country.
The hub of midfield could be a key battleground, as if Les Bleus have any weakness, then it comes in the form of Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone, while Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi and Neil El Aynaoui have impressed all tournament.
Indeed, attack should be the Atlas Lions' best form of defence, and if France dominate the ball as expected, then they have the firepower to pull off one of the biggest upsets in world football.
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