France will face Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals at Foxborough Stadium near Boston, USA, on Thursday in a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semifinal won by Les Bleus 2-0.

France have been the tournament's finest team, playing scintillating football, but needed a Kylian Mbappe penalty to beat a stubborn Paraguay side 1-0 in the round of 16.

Morocco impressed with a 3-0 win over Canada in the last 16, having drawn with Brazil and beaten Haiti and Scotland in the group stage. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi said: "We're no longer a surprise, and that's a great source of pride. I hope this is only the beginning."

Ouahbi insists revenge is not the main motivation: "We want to go as far as possible and make our people proud." However, defeating the former colonizers after the 2022 defeat would bring extra satisfaction.

France boast an array of attacking talent: Mbappe has scored seven goals, tied for the Golden Boot lead, alongside Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele. Morocco rely on a compact defense led by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and right-back Achraf Hakimi.

France showed they can handle physical battles after a tough match against Paraguay. Substitute Rayan Cherki said: "We reminded everyone that France are not just about playing football. To anyone who wants to go to war with us, this is what you should expect."

Morocco changed coach again before the tournament, and Ouahbi has abandoned a traditional striker for a false nine system, which paid off as Azzedine Ounahi scored twice against Canada.

France have yellow card concerns: Bradley Barcola, Manu Kone, and Michael Olise are one booking away from missing a potential semifinal.

Source: www.aljazeera.com