France stronger for Paraguay test, ready for different challenge against Morocco, says coach

WALTHAM, Massachusetts, July 6 : Assistant coach Guy Stephan said France would be stronger for the physical test they faced against Paraguay and were preparing for a very different challenge when they take on Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals on Thursday.

France romped into the second knockout round but had to scrap their way past a rugged Paraguay side with very little protection from the match officials in Philadelphia on Saturday to get into the last eight.

Stephan confirmed that the French federation had appealed against key forward Michael Olise's yellow card, one of three shown to French players during the clash to one for the Paraguayans. 

"I think that playing a match like that at this stage of the tournament was fruitful for us, because it gives answers about what the players are capable of in the face of that kind of adversity," he told reporters on Monday.  

"It was a day when it would have been easy to lose control, and nobody lost control. So that is still proof of maturity, even if they are young players.

"It was a hard match, physically and mentally draining. Now we've moved on," he added. 

GENUINE CLASS 

Morocco will be aiming to reach the semi-finals for the second straight World Cup in Boston on Thursday and Stephan said there was no doubt they were a team with genuine class. 

"It will be a completely different kind of opposition from what we just had," he said. 

"It's a well-organised, well-structured team, a team with a certain solidity, and above all a team that is very good in transition that has scored a lot of goals ...

"They also have individual strengths, whether on the right side or the left side ... It's undeniably a quality team." 

Stephan said forward Marcus Thuram, who missed France's last two