Morocco vs Haiti, FIFA World Cup Match Result: Morocco fought back twice to knock out Haiti and reach the knockout stages

Morocco survived a major scare from Haiti before securing a 4-2 victory on Wednesday, coming from behind twice to book their place in the round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup.Substitutes Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine played key roles late in the match, scoring decisive goals as Morocco ended Haiti’s hopes of picking up their first point of the tournament.

Haiti made history with an early breakthrough

Haiti, playing in just their second World Cup and first since 1974, stunned the African champions in the 10th minute. Lenny Joseph got to the near post and cleverly slotted past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.The goal was historic, becoming Joseph Haiti’s first World Cup goalscorer since Emmanuel Sanon found the net more than five decades ago.

Hakimi counters but Haiti strikes again

After going down, Morocco dominated possession and finally found an equalizer six minutes before half-time. Achraf Hakimi cashed in after Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide failed to fully deal with a deflected cross from Bilal El Khannousse.The even score did not last long. Just four minutes later, Wilson Isidor restored Haiti’s lead with a sensational long-range effort that curled into the top corner, leaving Bounou with no chance.

Saibari equalizes before the break

The first half had one more twist. Deep into the break, Ismael Saibari finished off Hakimi’s cross to make it 2-2 at halftime.It was Saibari’s third goal of the tournament and ensured Morocco stayed level despite a difficult opening 45 minutes.

The second half substitutes sealed the win

Morocco increased the pressure after the break and eventually took control in the closing stages. Rahimi, introduced from the bench, made his mark in the 78th minute when his shot found the back of the net.As Haiti pushed forward in search of another equaliser, Yassine ended the match with a goal in the 89th minute to complete the comeback and secure Morocco’s place in the knockout stages.

Morocco passed, Haiti bowed out

Morocco finished second in Group C behind Brazil, who beat Scotland 3-0 in their other group game. Morocco will now face the runners-up from Group F – the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden – in Guadalajara.Despite the defeat, Haiti earned plaudits for pushing one of the tournament’s entrants to the finish and coming close to producing one of the competition’s biggest surprises.After the match, midfielder Bilal El Khannouss admitted that Morocco were not at their best initially.“Sometimes we lacked humility and we paid for it. In the duels we were not fully engaged, we gave them confidence and allowed them to grow into the game and score twice. At half-time the coach told us that we need to be more aggressive, win second balls and bring more intensity to our attacking game.”