Morocco advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the second consecutive tournament after a clinical 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16. Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi starred with a brilliant brace the substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a late third to seal the win.
Despite the definitive scoreline, Canada dominated the first half with aggressive pressing. Tani Oluwaseyi nearly gave Canada an early lead but Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made a crucial leg save. Morocco also suffered an early blow when key midfielder Ismael Saibari went off injured in the 22nd minute during a highly physical first half that saw eight yellow cards distributed equally.
Canada paid heavily for failing to convert their early chances just five minutes after the restart. In the 50th minute, captain Achraf Hakimi picked out an unmarked Ounahi from a clever free-kick routine, who fired home into the bottom corner from 25 yards out. Canada’s comeback hopes were severely hampered by the absence of talisman Alphonso Davies, who sat out the match due to a hamstring injury.
As Canada pushed forward for an equalizer Morocco brilliantly exploited the open space. In the 82nd minute Brahim Díaz set up Ounahi for his second goal of the match. Rahimi wrapped up the victory in stoppage time with a third goal following another swift counterattack.
With this feat, Ounahi became the first African player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Senegal's Henri Camara in 2002. Under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco has become the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarterfinals twice. They will face France on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
