Morocco Dominates Canada to Advance in World Cup
Azzedine Unahi scored twice, and Soufian Rahimi added another goal as Morocco cruised to a 3-0 victory over Canada in Houston, successfully advancing to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. This victory sets the stage for the Atlas Lions to compete for a spot in their second consecutive semi-final match against either France or Paraguay. Morocco made headlines during the 2022 tournament by becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals.
The match was characterized by a surprising number of yellow cards—eight in total—outnumbering the seven shots on goal. Yassine Bounou proved to be the busier goalkeeper throughout the match, fending off early attempts from Canada, which looked poised to score. Morocco faced an early setback as star striker Ismael Saibari had to leave the field due to injury after just 22 minutes.
Unahi quickly made his presence felt after Saibari’s departure, netting the first goal just after halftime, assisted by Achraf Hakimi. Unahi displayed remarkable composure, sealing his second goal later in the match following a swift counter-attack led by Brahim Díaz. Rahimi capped the scoreline with a well-placed shot to put the game out of reach for Canada, which had been striving to maintain its historic tournament run.
Looking ahead, if France secures a victory against Paraguay in their round-of-16 matchup, Morocco will have the opportunity to avenge their semi-final loss to Qatar, scheduled to take place in Boston on Thursday.
Key Highlights from Houston
6: Early chance for Canada! Bounou impressively denied Jonathan David from close range, reacting swiftly to block a shot that looked promising for the Canadian forward.
11: Another critical save from Bounou! Following a poorly executed pass from Neil El Ainaoui, Thani Oluwaseyi skillfully maneuvered around Redouan Halhar only to see his shot thwarted by the Moroccan goalkeeper.
21: Morocco was forced to make an early substitution when Saibari departed due to injury, paving the way for Sufian Rahimi.
40: A flashpoint occurred as Hakimi and Richie Larrier exchanged yellow cards after a brief tussle, highlighting the intensity of the match.
45+7: The referee issued the sixth yellow card of the match to Bilal El Kanous just before halftime, underscoring the game’s competitive edge.
50: Morocco struck first as Ounahi capitalized on a set-piece delivered by Hakimi to put the Atlas Lions ahead.
82: Ounahi doubled his tally, effectively sealing the match for Morocco with his second goal.
85: Almost a third goal! Rahimi’s header rattled the crossbar, reflecting Morocco’s attacking prowess.
90+8: Rahimi added the finishing touch, scoring the final goal and firmly securing Morocco’s victory.
