Deschamps Calls Mbappé 'Exemplary' After France's Boston Win

Didier Deschamps was full of praise for Kylian Mbappé after France's 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco in Boston, according to The Guardian, calling the captain's performance exemplary despite an early penalty miss.

Mbappé was withdrawn with 13 minutes remaining after feeling some discomfort in his ankle, but he is not expected to miss France's semi-final. Midfielder Manu Koné was also taken off after taking a knock to the knee.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi was candid about the scale of the challenge his side faced. He said France settled into a comfort zone as the match wore on and urged his players not to panic, pointing to a talented young group and strong institutional support as the building blocks for future success.

Ouahbi noted that Morocco became the first African nation to reach two World Cup quarter-finals, and looked ahead rather than back, suggesting the gap to the top sides could be closed within four years.