Morocco bounced back with a clinical second-half display to beat Canada 3-0 in Houston and secure their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, leaving Canada’s bright start to the match as little more than a footnote in the tournament’s history.
The first 45 minutes were forgettable for the Atlas Lions as Canada dominated possession, pressed aggressively and created openings in the final third. The North Americans moved the ball with confidence and purpose, finding space around the Moroccan penalty area time and again. But despite their territorial superiority and plenty of touches inside the box, they lacked the finishing touch.
In the 23rd minute, Morocco’s afternoon took another turn for the worse when Ismael Saibari was forced off through injury and replaced by Soufiane Rahimi. It appeared to be another setback for a side struggling to find their rhythm. Their passing lacked fluency, their attacking combinations were almost non-existent, and they looked disjointed all over the pitch.
The contest was keenly fought and tempers frequently flared. Referee intervention became a recurring theme as six yellow cards were shown during a bruising first half that ended goalless.
Whatever was said in the Moroccan dressing room at half-time transformed the contest.
Five minutes after the restart, Morocco broke the deadlock with a brilliantly worked set-piece. Captain Achraf Hakimi played a free-kick into the path of Azzedine Ounahi, who was stationed just outside the penalty area and curled an exquisite finish into the bottom corner beyond the Canadian goalkeeper.
That goal completely shifted the momentum. Morocco looked sharper, more composed and increasingly dangerous on the counter, while Canada struggled to recreate the attacking fluency they had displayed before the interval.
Canada almost found a way back into the match in the 79th minute when Tajon Buchanan spotted Bono off his line and attempted an audacious long-range effort that dipped and swerved before narrowly missing the target.
Three minutes later, Morocco delivered the knockout blow. Canada committed numbers forward in search of an equaliser and the Atlas Lions punished them on the counter. Brahim Diaz surged forward before cutting inside and squaring the ball for Ounahi, who blasted an emphatic finish in off the near post to complete his brace. The assist was Diaz’s third of the tournament, underlining his growing importance to Morocco’s World Cup campaign.
The final nail in Canada’s coffin came in the 98th minute when Diaz registered his fourth assist of the tournament, setting up Rahimi, who slotted home with composure.
The Atlas Lions will now face the winners of the Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay in the quarter-finals.
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