African football powerhouse Morocco successfully advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, delivering a commanding 3-0 victory against tournament co-host Canada in their round of 16 encounter. This result marks the second consecutive quarterfinal appearance for the Moroccan side, which previously made history in 2022 by becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal.
The match remained a deadlock throughout the first half, with both sides struggling to find a breakthrough. The stalemate was finally broken in the 50th minute when Azzedine Ounahi connected with a free kick delivered by Achraf Hakimi. Ounahi fired a right-footed shot through a crowded penalty area, placing the ball into the bottom right corner to give Morocco a 1-0 lead.
As the game progressed, Morocco extended its advantage in the 82nd minute when Ounahi secured his second goal of the match from the center of the box following a pass from Brahim Díaz. In the final minute of stoppage time, Soufiane Rahimi added a third, spectacular goal to finalize the scoreline. Canada attempted to respond late in the game, most notably through a 78th-minute free kick from Jonathan David, but the effort sailed over the crossbar.
For Canada, the defeat concludes a historic tournament run that saw the co-host win its first-ever knockout match by defeating South Africa. Playing in only their third World Cup, the Canadian team managed to capture the attention of a nation typically more focused on hockey. Morocco now prepares for its next challenge, as they are set to face the winner of the Paraguay-France fixture this coming Thursday at Boston Stadium. Morocco’s path to the round of 16 included a notable victory where, ranked sixth in the FIFA rankings, Morocco dispatched the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to reach the round of 16 and send the country to its earliest World Cup exit.
