<\/amp-img><\/amp-iframe><\/div>\nAfter a first half littered with more bookings than shots, midfielder Azzedine Ounahi fired the opener on 50 minutes.<\/p>\n
Canada \u2013 playing the biggest game in their footballing history \u2013 pushed for an equaliser, but Ounahi scored his second to finally see off the resistance of Jesse Marsch\u2019s men.<\/p>\n
Substitute Soufiane Rahimi slipped in the third with the last kick of the match. It was tough on Canada, who were the better side in the opening period in front of a crowd of 68,777 as they sought to make more history.<\/p>\n
They came into the contest in uncharted territory, having won a World Cup match and then a knockout game for the first time to get to the last 16.<\/p>\n
They were clear underdogs and their fans were outnumbered by Morocco supporters at the airconditioned Houston Stadium.<\/p>\n
Yet they looked the more confident at the start, Tani Oluwaseyi turning sharply in the box and forcing Morocco\u2019s Montreal-born goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to save with a stretched-out leg after 10 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Morocco’s defender Achraf Hakimi and forward Soufiane Rahimi celebrate. Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT \/ AFP<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFrom Canada\u2019s fourth corner of the half, defender Alistair Johnston failed to make the most of a free header. Morocco were rattled.<\/p>\n
After 20 minutes Mohamed Ouahbi\u2019s team suffered a big injury blow, Bayern Munich-bound Ismael Saibari \u2014 who had scored three times at the tournament \u2014 coming off for Rahimi.<\/p>\n
Immediately after the drinks break Rahimi had a go optimistically from distance, registering Morocco\u2019s first shot on target with a quarter of the game gone.<\/p>\n
There was a flashpoint shortly before half-time when Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and defender Richie Laryea had a brief shoving match, with both shown yellow cards.<\/p>\n
Referee Michael Oliver booked six players \u2014 four from Morocco \u2014 in a half high on niggly fouls and low on goal-mouth action.<\/p>\n
The build-up to the last World Cup game of seven in Houston, with the United States celebrating its 250th birthday, was the highlight until that point.<\/p>\n
Morocco, who beat Canada in the group phase at the 2022 World Cup, came out for the second period transformed.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Azzedine Ounahi #8 of Morocco celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Canada and Morocco at Houston Stadium.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFive minutes after the restart Hakimi pinged a low free-kick to Ounahi unmarked outside the box and he swept in first time.<\/p>\n
Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had his view blocked by two of his defenders and the ball also went through Rahimi\u2019s legs.<\/p>\n
On 82 minutes, Ounahi was the man in the right place again on the breakaway with another right-footed first-time finish, before Rahimi pounced in the 98th minute.<\/p>\n
Morocco becomes the first African nation to score three goals in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives,\u201d said Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels. I have to recognise that Canada were impressive, they played a top match.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was no surprise for us, but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us, that was the key.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada coach Jesse Marsch said: \u201cWhat a privilege our fans have had to root on a team like this \u2014 that goes after the game, does not play defensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to be in these situations more and more and find ways to succeed, and we have to build from that.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs good as Morocco are, I\u2019d rather be us. I\u2019m really proud of our guys. We went after the game and they are really hurting right now, but I couldn\u2019t be prouder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marsch also said he felt his side had been the better team, to which his opposite number Ouahbi replied: \u201cIn terms of intensity they were good, that has to be said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWere they better? Hard to say that when you lose 3-0, it\u2019s a bold claim,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were well organised, but I think in the second half there was no contest. \u201cIn any case,\u201d he added, \u201cI\u2019m not sure many teams are going to win by that scoreline in the round of 16.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Canada became the first of the co-hosts to exit the World Cup as a clinical Morocco won 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals on Sunday morning AEST in Houston. The 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will face title favourites France or Paraguay as the business end of the tournament in North America approaches. Get all the latest football […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":251455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6807],"tags":[156],"class_list":{"0":"post-251454","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leagues-cups","8":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}