Morocco took a first-half nap to end Canada’s dream run to reach the quarters

Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco eased past Canada with a 3-0 victory in the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup on Saturday, ending the co-hosts’ historic campaign and sealing a second consecutive quarter-final appearance.

After a scrappy first half, Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart with a smart free kick. Achraf Hakimi rolled the ball into the path of Ounahimu and the midfielder’s first time effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Canada looked to equalize but were caught on the counter when Ounahi doubled Morocco’s lead in the 82nd minute after being picked off by Brahim Diaz. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a third late on to cap a dominant second-half display.

Morocco’s only setback came when leading scorer Ismael Saibari limped off with a hamstring injury before half-time. They will face either France or Paraguay in the quarter-finals on July 9.

(more to follow)

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

05 Jul 2026 0:47 IST