France swept aside Morocco 4-0 to march into the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals.
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KadidiatouDiani opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour
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Kenza Dali and a Eugenie Le Sommer brace made the game safe
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Australia await Herve Renard’s side in the last eight
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France 4-0 Morocco | Round of 16
Goalscorers: Diani (15′), Dali (20′), Le Sommer (24′, 70)
France eased into the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ following a routine victory over Morocco at Hindmarsh Stadium.
Kadidiatou Diani opened the scoring with a close-range header before setting up goals for both Kenza Dali and Eugenie Le Sommer in the first half, before the latter netted her second to finish the scoring.
Morocco, playing in their first-ever Women’s World Cup knockout match, found themselves on the back front from the off and would concede inside the opening quarter of an hour. A neat give-and-go set Sakina Karchaoui through down the left, whose pinpoint cross found the head of Diani, who guided the ball into a largely unguarded net.
Just five minutes later, tormentor-in-chief Diani cut the ball back for Dali from the right. The midfielder strolled on to the ball, before sweeping home a fine first-time effort off the far post. Diani was then involved again, as she blocked a Moroccan clearance into the path of Le Sommer to fire in from close range barely moments later.
The Lyon forward would grab her second midway through the second half when substitute Vicki Becho looped a deep cross into the area. The master markswoman peeled away from her marker to nod home her third goal of the tournament.
Morocco stemmed the flow of goals from there and bow out of their maiden global finals with their heads held high.
France will now take on Australia on Saturday at Brisbane Stadium.
Key stat
Eugenie Le Sommer is France’s all-time top scorer. She now has 92 international goals to her name.
Kadidiatou Diani earned a huge 20 points for the 64.58% of Daily Fantasy users who chose the French forward.
VISA Player of the Match
Kadidiatou Diani (France)
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