Relive Fifa Women's World Cup - France to play Australia after beating Morocco

1. FT: France 4-0 Morocco
2. Kadidiatou Diani scores France's opener in 15th minute
3. Kenza Dali adds second 5 minutes later
4. Eugénie Le Sommer scores a goal in each half
5. France will play Australia in the quarter-finals in Brisbane on Saturday

Herve Renard is a smooth-looking fella. He leans against the side of the dug-out, watching on and very chilled out.

In contrast, Reynald Pedros barks orders from his seat.

KICK-OFF

We've had some shocks already. This could be the biggest.

Morocco sang their anthem with all the gusto you'd expect. Can they continue this remarkable story?

France have the talent and the know-how. They won't want to go the way of Germany and the USA.

We are under way.

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'Morocco will push France very close'

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Morocco have learned very quickly what it takes to play at a World Cup, and how they obviously could not continue to be as open as they were when they lost 6-0 to Germany in their opening game.

But a lot of results have not gone as expected because standards are rising everywhere, Morocco - who are ranked 72nd in the world - are a great example of a team that has shaken the established order up.

They have confidence and momentum and, while I don't think they will have quite enough to beat France and cause another upset, they will push them very close.

Brown-Finnis' prediction:1-0

'Tough job ahead for Morocco'

Ellen White

Former England striker on BBC One

France have rested players, they seem like a strong team and I want to see goals!

Diani got her hat-trick last time out so I am really excited.

I think it's going to be a tough, tough job for Morocco.

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'For representation in the game it is huge'

Fara Williams

Former England midfielder on BBC One

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Nouhaila Benzina's debut was my moment of the group stage.

For her to become the first woman to wear the hijab at the World Cup is massive.

For representation in sport, to have people that look like you playing at the top level. It is very brave.

And she is a very good footballer. She can inspire young girls to play.

'Morocco journey incomprehensible'

Karen Bardsley

Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper on the Football Daily podcast

It must be a massive culture shift for this Morocco side.

To go from being hammered by teams, to putting yourself out there and taking the risk of potentially embarassing yourself on a global scale, but then actually completely surprising everyone, beating Colombia, and getting through to the knockout rounds.

I just can't really comprehend it. It is just amazing, I'm so happy for them.

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Cultural and historical tensions at play

Shaimaa Khalil

BBC News

Like their male counterparts last year, the Moroccan women's national team will face the might of France.

The men were knocked out of the semi-finals in Qatar 2022 by Les Bleus. Even the staunchest of supporters would say the Atlas Lionesses' chances against an experienced and tactical team like France are slim.

There are also cultural and historical tensions at play. The shadows of a violent colonial past always hover over games between them, making them more charged than others.

French Journalist Philippe Guibert called Benzina's hijab 'regressive', while France's highest administrative court rejected an appeal by Muslim players to reverse the French Football Federation's hijab ban.

"On social media, people are looking forward to this game because of the general context, especially when some French pundits criticised Nouhaila Benzina's hijab," says El Amri.

Their biggest wish, he says, is for Benzina to score a winning goal against France.

'Nouhaila Benzina is a role model to us'

BBC

By Manish Pandey & Iqra Farooq, Newsbeat reporters

Young Muslim footballers say Nouhaila Benzina is their role model after she made history by wearing a hijab at the Women's World Cup.

The 25-year-old became the first player to wear the Islamic headscarf at a senior tournament when Morocco beat South Korea.

Muslim girls and women wear the hijab as a display of modesty, but it's not always been welcomed on the football pitch.

It was banned by the game's governing body Fifa until 2014, when they allowed players to wear it for religious reasons.

Yasmin Rahman plays for Saltley Stallions in Birmingham, one of the only clubs geared towards Muslim women in the UK.

The 23-year-old says when she was younger she had no Muslim female football player to look up to.

"Little me is screaming 'oh my gosh', finally now a hijab at the level of the World Cup and being globally recognised," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Read more here.

'Morocco have learned along the way'

Ellen White

Former England striker on BBC One

Morocco seem like they have learned some lessons throughout the tournament.

They have gone back after that heavy defeat in the first game, really thought about things, made some changes, secured two clean sheets in their next two games.

They are going to pose some threats against France.

'France back to strongest side'

Laura Georges

Former France international on BBC One

France are back to what I would call their 'normal' starting XI. Even if we are missing Lakrar who would usually partner Renard at centre back.

I think they are going to play with a standard 4-4-2, looking to be strong and then use the speed of Diani and Le Sommer up front.

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'FA's around the world should take note from Morocco'

Tom Garry

Telegraph football journalist on BBC Football Daily podcast

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FA's around the world will hopefully be looking at Morocco and the investment their Federation has put in, paying attention and taking notice, and perhaps even getting a bit envious.

It is not an attitude that many countries in the world have taken up until now. But I hope it inspires other countries to get behind the women's game.

I was thinking when teams like Jamaica and Colombia got through, 'What could they have achieved if they had their own St George's Park?'

There is so much more potential in these sides, and what is being achieved by players is against the odds. The incentive that must give to Federations to provide more help has got to be so high now.

'Belief has driven this Morocco side'

Karen Bardsley

Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper on the Football Daily podcast

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Morocco almost expected to get battered by Germany, but the belief to go on and win against South Korea, and to take that and go on against Colombia, who themselves beat the Germans... [Was incredible].

To think that they are now going to face France in this next round, with the history there, what a side.

'A moment no one thought was possible'

Jonas Eidevall

Arsenal manager on BBC One

You can see how much Morocco have invested in belief, hard work, and that is what football is about.

Their qualification for the knockout stages is a great moment no-one thought was possible.

What a moment to bring to Morocco as a football nation.

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How Morocco have made history again

Shaimaa Khalil

BBC News

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The feat of this Moroccan women's team in reaching the last 16 follows the World Cup achievement of the Moroccan men's team at Qatar 2022. The Atlas Lions were the first Arab and African team to make it to the semi-finals.

"The men started it and the women are carrying on," a fan told Moroccan TV 2M.

You can feel the same momentum building around the women's team. They've been enjoying home support since they made it to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations final (Wafcon) in front of a record home crowd in 2022.

Some of the chants here in Australia are the same as those that rang out in Qatar: "This is only the start! More to come! More to come!"

"In the outcome of the [World Cup] games, they were celebrated similarly [to the men]. But the general public is still discovering those girls and their stories," says Moroccan sports journalist Amine el Amri.

The Atlas Lionesses are trailblazers. Regardless of their result against France, Morocco's women's team have already made history.

'Even with friendly spirit, you still need to win'

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The links between these two sides go the other way too, with France boss Herve Renard previously having managed Morocco's men's side for three years.

Yet he has said despite the "friendly spirit" between the sides, there will only be one objective come kick off.

""I have amazing friends [in Morocco]. But now we need to focus on football. Even when we have a friendly [spirited] match, you still need to win the game so we are here to qualify [for the quarter-finals]."

'My heart is with Morocco'

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Morocco coach Reynald Pedros says he it is "not a problem" for him managing against his native country France.

The former Olympic Lyonnais Feminines head coach won back-to-back League and Women's Champions League titles during his two season spell in charge, managing plenty of the current French squad in the process.

However he is putting personal affiliations aside today.

"I am French but my heart is with Morocco," he said. "It's three years we've been working hard to get to these incredible objectives. It's not a problem for me to [try to] win against France.

"I will do everything for us to qualify for the quarter-finals."

How France got here...

Always in the mix

France have never won the World Cup but they are consistently competitive in major tournaments. They came fourth in this event in 2011 and have reached the last eight in the two since. In last year's Euros they reached the semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventual runners-up Germany.

They are unbeaten so far in Australia and New Zealand, topping their group to qualify with two wins and a draw. This included victory over Brazil.

'Morocco's qualification one of those moments you dream about'

Fara Williams

Former England midfielder on BBC One

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The celebrations of the Moroccan players when they found out they had qualified from the group provided some unbelievably emotional scenes.

You think back to the opening game, those women would have been in the dressing room after that heavy defeat so deflated, feeling as if they had let themselves down.

To bounce back from that defeat to knock one of the favourites out of the tournament is phenomenal.

These are the moments you dream of as a footballer.

Team news - Renard and Le Sommer return

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Unsurprisingly, with no major fitness issues to contend with, Morocco have named the same side that sealed their progress to the last 16 with that victory over Colombia.

Forwards Ibtissam Jraidi and Anissa Lahmari have both scored a goal each at the tournament, with the latter (who plays her club football in France with Guingamp) netting the only goal against Colombia.

Morocco: Er-Rmichi, Redouani, Benzina, El Chad, Ait El Haj, Tagnaout, Chebbak, Nakkach, Ouzraoui, Lahmari, Jraidi.

Subs: Zouhair, Kassi, Amani, Badri, Seghir, Mazrouai, Gharbi, Chapelle, Bouftini, Mrabet, Ayane, Arouaissa.

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Having being rested for the final group game - the 6-3 win over Panama - France captain and defender Wendie Renard and forward and her country's all-time leading scorer Eugenie Le Sommer return to the starting XI in two of five changes.

Also in the side are Paris St-Germain defender Sakina Karchaoui, Real Madrid midfielder Sandie Toletti and Aston Villa forward Kenza Dali.

Kadidiatou Diani will look to pick up where she left off after her hat-trick against Panama.

France: Peyraud-Magnin, Perisset, de Almeida, Renard, Karchaoui, Dali, Geyoro, Toletti, Bacha, Le Sommer, Diani.

Subs: Durand, Lakrar, Fazer, Majri, Mateo, Tounkara, Le Garrec, Asseyi, Feller, Cascarino, Becho, Picaud.