HOUSTON — Morocco became the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals on more than one occasion after a commanding 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice before Soufiane Rahimi sealed the victory in stoppage time as the Atlas Lions continued their impressive run following their historic semifinal appearance at the 2022 World Cup.
Morocco will face France in the quarterfinals after Les Bleus edged Paraguay 1-0 later on Saturday.
“We are no longer a surprise,” Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said. “Now when people talk about Morocco, we’re a major contender and it’s a great source of pride. I think it’s only the beginning and I hope we continue to have runs like this.”
Despite making more history, Ouahbi insisted his side is aiming even higher.
“We want to keep going,” he said. “We don’t want to stop.”
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou echoed his coach’s ambition while highlighting the significance of Morocco’s achievement for African football.
“We are so proud to represent Africa because it’s a continent with a lot of talent and Africa deserves to be at the highest level in football,” Bounou said.
After a tightly contested first half, Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart when Ounahi fired a precise right-footed effort from outside the penalty area into the bottom corner after receiving Achraf Hakimi’s free-kick.
Ounahi doubled the lead in the 82nd minute, finishing from close range after being set up by Brahim Díaz, before Rahimi added a third deep into stoppage time to complete an emphatic victory.
Canada’s historic World Cup campaign came to an end after the co-host nation reached the knockout stage for the first time and secured its maiden World Cup knockout victory with a 1-0 win over South Africa.
Coach Jesse Marsch praised his players despite the defeat.
“I told them that I was proud of them and I challenged them to understand that we can play like this all the time against the best teams in the world,” Marsch said.
The American coach also suggested Canada had controlled large periods of the match despite the scoreline.
“The way we pushed, the way we were in the match, the quality we showed, the overall impact in the match, we were better,” Marsch said.
Ouahbi disagreed with that assessment.
“In terms of intensity they were good,” he said. “They were good for 98 minutes. Were they better? It’s hard to say. It takes some nerve to say that when you lose 3-0.”
Bounou, who was born in Canada to Moroccan parents, made three saves to preserve another clean sheet for Morocco, while Canada’s hopes were also hurt by the absence of injured star Alphonso Davies, who missed the match because of a hamstring problem.
The victory continued Morocco’s remarkable rise on the global stage and reinforced their status as one of the favorites to challenge for the title.
Source: Saudi Gazette