Morocco lodge complaint with FIFA after World Cup semi-final defeat to France: Reports

The Moroccan national team's governing body, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has filed a complaint with FIFA over refereeing decisions in their 2-0 loss to France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Atlas Lions saw their fairytale run end in the semi-finals against the defending champions and will now play in the third-place play-off on Saturday.

In their statement, Morocco stated that they were denied two penalties in the match and slammed referee Cesar Ramos for "grotesque refereeing." The Athletic quoted the Moroccan Federation's statement as saying (via NDTV):

"The FRMF has filed an official protest to FIFA regarding the grotesque refereeing of the France-Morocco match, especially following the two penalties not whistled for Morocco in the first half."

The Moroccan FA also confirmed on their website that it calls for "taking the necessary measures" in regards to the referee's "injustice."

"The Royal Moroccan Football Federation affirms that it will not hesitate to defend the rights of our team, calling for fairness in taking the necessary measures, regarding the refereeing injustice practised on the Moroccan national team in its match against the French national team in the semi-final of the World Cup."

One particular moment of contention was when Sofiane Boufal was booked for an apparent foul on Theo Hernandez, although replays showed it was the French full-back who collided with Boufal inside the box.

It could've been a penalty for Morocco on another day, but referee Ramos instead ended up booking the Moroccan.

How is this a yellow card for Boufal??? https://t.co/5JLXON72FH

The Atlas Lions witnessed a late revival in the match, pushing France on the back foot with their attacking intent, but ultimately fell short as their World Cup hopes were shattered.

Morocco face Croatia for the 2022 FIFA World Cup third place

Morocco might have lost but their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign isn't over yet as they will aim for a third-place finish over Croatia on Saturday.

Just two more games remain in the 2022 World Cup ⚽️

Final:
Argentina 🇦🇷 vs. France 🇫🇷

Third place:
Croatia 🇭🇷 vs. Morocco 🇲🇦 https://t.co/n9YbBuDlZ3

The Atlas Lions are already the first African team and the first Arab team in history to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Securing the third place would add another feather to their cap.

Croatia, meanwhile, are looking to finish third for the second time as an independent nation, having previously done so in the 1998 edition in France.

Morocco and Croatia played out a 0-0 draw in Group F in their opening match.