France will be forced to navigate the remainder of their World Cup campaign with Michael Olise walking a disciplinary tightrope after FIFA rejected an appeal to overturn the winger’s controversial yellow card against Paraguay.
The decision arrives just hours before Les Bleus face Morocco in Boston, with the Bayern Munich star now one booking away from suspension should Didier Deschamps’ side reach the semi-finals.
Morocco, meanwhile, have received damaging team news of their own after confirming influential attacker Ismael Saibari will miss Thursday’s quarter-final through injury.
Read more from Oddsfactory: France vs Morocco
France frustration grows after Paraguay controversy
France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia secured a place in the last eight, but much of the post-match discussion centred around the officiating rather than Kylian Mbappe’s winning penalty.
Olise was booked deep into stoppage time after becoming involved in an altercation with Matias Galarza, with the Frenchman penalised after grabbing his opponent’s shirt during the incident.
The yellow card immediately sparked frustration within the French camp, particularly given the nature of the contest and several incidents that went unpunished throughout the evening. Deschamps confirmed on Wednesday that FIFA had rejected France’s attempt to have the booking rescinded.
“The yellow card has not changed. We were notified by FIFA this morning, it has been maintained,” the France manager said ahead of Thursday’s quarter-final.
The decision means Olise would miss a potential semi-final against either Spain or Belgium if France overcome Morocco and he receives another caution.
AdvertisementRefereeing performance comes under heavy criticism
The final stages of France’s victory over Paraguay descended into a fractious affair, with Les Bleus feeling several incidents should have resulted in disciplinary action against their opponents.
Paraguay defender Gustavo Velazquez attempted to damage the penalty spot before Mbappe stepped up to convert the decisive spot-kick, while Dayot Upamecano was left nursing sore ribs following an off-the-ball clash with Gabriel Avalos.
Adrien Rabiot was also on the receiving end of a robust challenge from Andres Cubas in a match that saw France collect three yellow cards while Paraguay escaped without a single booking. The officiating drew criticism from several pundits following the final whistle.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart accused Paraguay of having “gone way too far” with some of their behaviour, while Thomas Hitzlsperger described it as “probably the worst referee performance I’ve seen at this tournament”.
The controversy did not end there. Mbappe later condemned racist remarks made by a Paraguayan senator following the match, describing the comments as “despicable” and unworthy of public office.
Morocco lose one of their stars
If France have selection concerns for the rounds ahead, Morocco already know they will be without one of their most influential players on Thursday evening. Saibari has been ruled out of the quarter-final after suffering a hamstring injury during Morocco’s impressive 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in the round of 16.
The Bayern Munich midfielder had enjoyed an outstanding tournament prior to the setback, scoring in all three group-stage matches and converting the decisive penalty in Morocco’s shootout victory over the Netherlands. His absence represents a major blow for Mohamed Ouahbi’s side ahead of a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final.
“He’s not ready but I hope it’s not the end of the tournament for him,” the Morocco manager said.
With France sweating over suspensions and Morocco already dealing with key absences, Thursday’s quarter-final may be shaped as much by who is unavailable as by those who take to the pitch in Boston.