Morocco Advances to World Cup Quarterfinals with Historic Victory Over Canada

Morocco's Historic Journey Continues

Morocco is set to return to the World Cup quarterfinals, with coach Mohamed Ouahbi asserting that his squad has firmly established itself among the elite in soccer.

Azzedine Ounahi was instrumental in Morocco's 3-0 triumph over Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday, marking the first time an African nation has reached the quarterfinals more than once.

Ouahbi expressed pride in the team's evolution, stating, "We are no longer a surprise. Now, when people mention Morocco, we are seen as a major contender, which fills us with pride. I believe this is just the beginning, and I hope we can continue this momentum."

Despite their historic achievement in this World Cup, Morocco has even loftier aspirations.

"We aim to keep advancing; we don’t intend to stop here," Ouahbi added.

This marks Morocco's second consecutive appearance in the final eight, following their groundbreaking run to the semifinals in 2022.

"We take immense pride in representing Africa, a continent rich in talent that deserves to be at the pinnacle of football," remarked goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

The match remained scoreless until Ounahi converted a free kick from Achraf Hakimi, striking a right-footed shot through a crowded defense into the bottom right corner, giving Morocco a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute.

Ounahi extended the lead to 2-0 with a right-footed shot from the center of the box, assisted by Brahim Diaz in the 82nd minute.

Soufiane Rahimi capped off the scoring with a goal in the dying moments of stoppage time.

Morocco is set to face France, who defeated Paraguay later that day, on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

This loss concludes a remarkable journey for Canada, co-hosting the World Cup, which celebrated its first-ever knockout round victory by defeating South Africa 1-0 to reach this match. This was only Canada's third World Cup appearance, captivating a nation typically more focused on hockey.

Canada's coach Jesse Marsch conveyed his pride in the team's performance post-match.

"I told them I was proud and challenged them to realize that we can compete like this against the world's best teams," he stated. "The real challenge is maintaining that standard for 90 minutes."

Ranked No. 7 by FIFA entering the tournament, Morocco previously eliminated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout to reach the Round of 16.

Marsch praised his team's effort against a formidable Moroccan side, noting how Canada controlled much of the match.

"The way we pushed, the quality we displayed, and our overall impact in the match were commendable. We performed better than the No. 7 team in the world today," he remarked.

In response to those comments, Ouahbi stated, "They were good in terms of intensity for 98 minutes. However, it’s difficult to claim superiority after losing 3-0."

Canada had opportunities to score late in the game, including a free kick from Jonathan David in the 78th minute that went over the crossbar.

Shortly after, Tajon Buchanan's long-range effort was thwarted by a diving save from Bounou, who made three saves during the match.

The victory ignited celebrations among Moroccan fans back home.

Within moments, thousands flooded the streets of Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, honking horns, climbing onto car roofs, waving flags, and chanting.

Traffic came to a standstill along Corniche Boulevard, a major thoroughfare, as ecstatic supporters danced, set off fireworks, and waved flares. Other significant boulevards in Casablanca were also filled with jubilant fans.

Canada reached the Round of 16 despite being without star player Alphonso Davies for most of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich player only played 15 minutes as a substitute in the win over South Africa but was unavailable for Saturday's match.

"His hamstring didn’t feel right," Marsch explained. "We hoped he would feel better by this morning, but he didn’t."

This match was a rematch from the last World Cup, where Morocco defeated Canada 2-1 in the group stage, with Morocco finishing fourth.

The match was notably physical, resulting in eight yellow cards, four for each team.

Hakimi and Canada’s Richie Laryea received yellow cards in the 40th minute after a minor scuffle ensued when Hakimi pushed Laryea to the ground.

Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari left the match due to injury in the 22nd minute.