Qatar World Cup 2022: Moroccan Football Federation protests to FIFA against refereeing in semis loss to France

Morocco created history during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, making it to the semis and becoming the first African side to do so. However, it was up against two-time defending champion France in the semis. It succumbed to a 0-2 flop after goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani ensured that the Atlas Lions would compete for third place against the Russia 2018 runner-up Croatia. However, there were some controversial decisions by the referee, as Sofiane Boufal's collision with Hernandez inside the box resulted in a free-kick instead of a Moroccan penalty. It was followed by Selim Amallah being brought down, who awaited a free-kick, only to be turned down by Cesar Ramos, who did not opt for the VAR.

In the same light, the Royal Morocco Football Federation (FMRF) has lodged an official complaint with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) over the referring issues in the semis. "The FMRF has written to the relevant body to review the refereeing decisions that deprived the Moroccan team of two penalties that were indisputable in the view of several refereeing specialists. The FMRF was equally astonished that the video assistant referee [VAR] did not react to these situations," read FMRF's statement.

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In the meantime, despite the upset, Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi displayed positivity, as he authored on Twitter, "We gave it all. The dream of a team, of a whole country, is over. But we have to be proud of what we have done. We fought until the last second, leaving with our heads held high. We will continue to try and give our all for this nation. Thanks to all Moroccans for your support."