Morocco advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals after beating co-host Canada 3-0 in Houston on Saturday, ending Canada’s strongest run at the tournament and sending the North African side into the last eight for the second consecutive edition.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice in the second half before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a stoppage-time third, as Morocco turned a tight first half into a comfortable Round of 16 victory, Reuters reported.
Canada began with greater urgency and created the better early chances, but Morocco held firm before taking control after the interval. Reuters reported that Canada dominated periods of the first half, while Morocco did not register a shot until the 28th minute.
Ounahi opened the scoring in the 50th minute after a set-piece move involving Achraf Hakimi, according to the Associated Press. The midfielder doubled Morocco’s lead in the 82nd minute, before Rahimi completed the win in the final minute of stoppage time.
The result ended a historic campaign for Canada, which was playing in the World Cup for only the third time and had reached the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s co-hosts. AP reported that Canada had advanced to the match after recording its first World Cup knockout win, a 1-0 victory over South Africa.
Canada were without captain Alphonso Davies from the starting lineup. Reuters reported before kickoff that Davies, who had recently returned from injury, began the match on the bench as coach Jesse Marsch made three changes to his side.
Morocco’s win carried wider significance for African football. AP reported that Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals more than once, following their run to the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022.
The victory also continued Morocco’s strong knockout-stage form. The team had reached this round after eliminating the Netherlands on penalties, according to AP, and then punished Canada with a more clinical second-half performance in Houston.
Morocco will face France in the quarter-finals after Kylian Mbappé scored a second-half penalty to give France a 1-0 win over Paraguay in Philadelphia, Reuters reported. The match sets up another major test for Morocco as they seek to extend one of the most successful World Cup runs by an African team.
