2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16
Canada 0 Morocco 3
Houston, USA: Morocco continued their remarkable 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign after a clinical second-half display that saw the Atlas Lions defeat co-hosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday to book a place in the quarter-finals.
Midfielder Azzedine Ounahi produced a match-winning performance with a superb brace before substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a late third as Morocco ended Canada’s historic World Cup run in front of a disappointed home crowd.
The victory keeps alive Morocco’s dream of becoming the first African nation to win the FIFA World Cup and follows their historic semi-final appearance at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Morocco will now face the winners of the Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay for a place in the semi-finals.
Canada began the match brightly, dominating possession and creating the better chances during the opening exchanges. The hosts nearly took the lead when Tani Oluwaseyi raced through on goal, only to be denied by an outstanding save from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
The Atlas Lions suffered an early setback in the 23rd minute after midfielder Ismael Saibari limped off with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, forcing coach Walid Regragui into an early tactical adjustment.
Despite Canada’s attacking pressure, Morocco remained disciplined at the back, with both sides going into the halftime break locked at 0-0 after a fiercely contested opening period that also produced several bookings.
Canada resumed the second half with the same attacking intent but were made to pay for their missed opportunities.
Morocco broke the deadlock in the 50th minute through a brilliantly executed set-piece. Achraf Hakimi rolled a free-kick into the path of Ounahi, who curled an exquisite effort into the bottom corner beyond the reach of the Canadian goalkeeper.
The goal shifted momentum firmly in Morocco’s favour as the Atlas Lions grew in confidence while Canada desperately searched for a route back into the contest.
The hosts thought they had earned a penalty after Tajon Buchanan went down inside the area, but the move was halted after the assistant referee flagged for offside.
Canada continued pressing forward but repeatedly found Bounou in inspired form, with the experienced goalkeeper producing another series of vital saves to preserve Morocco’s advantage.
The North Africans doubled their lead in the 82nd minute following a devastating counterattack. Brahim Díaz surged forward before unselfishly picking out Ounahi, who calmly slotted home his second goal of the afternoon to all but end Canada’s hopes.
Substitute Soufiane Rahimi completed the scoring deep into stoppage time, finishing another swift counterattack to seal an emphatic 3-0 victory and spark celebrations among the Moroccan supporters.
The result extends Morocco’s impressive record in recent major tournaments and reinforces their status as genuine contenders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup title.
Canada, meanwhile, bow out after an impressive tournament in which the co-hosts reached the knockout stages for the first time, earning widespread praise for their performances despite seeing their World Cup dream come to an end.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
