MOROCCO produced a ruthless second-half display to defeat co-hosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday, booking a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the second consecutive tournament despite enduring a difficult opening period.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice after the break before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a late third as Morocco capitalised on Canada's inability to convert a string of early opportunities.
The Atlas Lions will now face either Paraguay or France in the quarter-finals on July 9.
The convincing scoreline did not reflect the balance of the first half, with Canada dominating possession, pressing aggressively and creating the better chances while Morocco failed to register their first attempt on goal until the 28th minute.
Morocco also suffered an early setback when tournament top scorer Ismael Saibari was forced off with a hamstring injury after 22 minutes, prompting Mohamed Ouahbi to introduce Rahimi. The opening half was fiercely contested, with the referee issuing six yellow cards.
Canada nearly took the lead when Tani Oluwaseyi burst into the penalty area after Morocco surrendered possession, only for goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to produce an excellent leg save.
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi admitted his side had struggled before responding superbly after the interval.
"It’s a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives," he said.
"We reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels."
"I have to recognise that Canada were impressive – they played a top match. It was no surprise for us but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us – that was the key."
Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart through a cleverly rehearsed set-piece. Captain Achraf Hakimi delivered a low pass from the right to the unmarked Ounahi, who swept a first-time effort into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
The breakthrough shifted the momentum decisively in Morocco's favour and left Canada chasing the game.
Missing influential captain Alphonso Davies, who withdrew before kick-off after aggravating a hamstring problem during the warm-up, Canada struggled to maintain the intensity that had characterised their first-half display.
Davies described his frustration at being unable to feature.
"Mentally for me it was tough," he said.
"Every game to sit there and watch, knowing you want to be on the pitch, it’s tough. At the end of the day I knew I had to support the guys a different way."
Canada's remarkable tournament, which included their first-ever World Cup victory and first point at the finals, nevertheless earned widespread praise. Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated the team on social media following their historic campaign.
Head coach Jesse Marsch said the difference came down to Morocco's superior quality in decisive moments.
"They made a couple more plays than us but cranking up the intensity was not the issue," Marsch said.
"It’s just they have a little bit more quality in the final third and we lacked a bit of ability to make a play when we needed it."
As Canada committed more players forward in search of an equaliser, Morocco exploited the space left behind.
Ounahi doubled the advantage in the 82nd minute, finishing emphatically into the top corner after Brahim Diaz led a swift four-on-two counter-attack.
The brace made Ounahi the first African player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Henri Camara struck a double for Senegal against Sweden in 2002.
Rahimi completed the scoring in the closing stages, finishing another rapid counter-attack to seal an emphatic victory and send Morocco into the last eight, where they will meet either Paraguay or France. - July 5, 2026
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