"I don't think it's a surprise" - Ibrahimovic offers opinion on Morocco reaching the FIFA World Cup semi-finals
AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stated that he hasn't been surprised by Morocco's incredible run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Few could have expected the Atlas Lions' journey in Qatar. They are the first-ever African team to make it into the semifinals of the World Cup, where they will take on reigning champions France on December 14.
While Morocco's journey has been a surprise to many involved, Ibrahimovic has stated that he knew they were a solid outfit before the FIFA World Cup began. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain striker said during a recent interaction (as quoted by NDTV):
"I don't think it's a surprise because I knew they were good before the World Cup. Then obviously in the World Cup everything can happen."
Ibrahimovic, who is currently recovering from a knee injury with the aim of being available for Milan for the second half of the 2022-23 club season, added:
"That they reached the semi-final, maybe a little surprised, but remember it's a good team, a good nation. And these surprises I think the people like; they enjoy because they want these things to happen so they get some kind of extra adrenaline."
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Morocco's run to and at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Morocco notably enjoyed a stellar qualifying campaign prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Atlas Lions were the only team out of the 40 African sides in contention to win all six of their group-stage matches. They scored 20 goals in those games and conceded just once. Morocco then defeated DR Congo 5-2 on aggregate in the third round to secure qualification into the FIFA World Cup.
At the tournament in Qatar, the team were handed a tough group-stage draw alongside Belgium, Croatia and Canada. They picked up a commendable 0-0 draw against the Croatians in their opener before beating stunning Belgium 2-0. A 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs helped them qualify for the knockouts as group winners.
In the Round of 16, they churned out a 0-0 draw against one of the pre-tournament favorites, Spain, after extra-time. Morocco then kept their nerves to win the penalty shootout 3-0.
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They then beat another pre-tournament favorite in Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals, courtesy of Youssef En-Nesyri's towering header. The result meant Morocco have unbelievably conceded just four times in 13 matches across their qualifying campaign and in the World Cup.
France now awaits in what promises to be a high-octane encounter in the last four of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.