HOUSTON: Morocco secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals on more than one occasion.
After a goalless first half, Morocco broke the deadlock in the 50th minute when Azzedine Ounahi converted a precise free-kick pass from Achraf Hakimi with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.
Ounahi doubled Morocco’s advantage in the 82nd minute after finishing a well-worked move created by Brahim Díaz. In stoppage time, Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal to seal an emphatic victory.
The win sends Morocco into the quarter-finals for the second consecutive World Cup, following its historic semi-final appearance in 2022, when it became the first African nation to reach the tournament’s last four.
Morocco will now face the winner of the Round of 16 clash between France and Paraguay in the quarter-finals.
Canada’s impressive World Cup campaign came to an end despite reaching the knockout stage for the first time in its history after defeating South Africa in the previous round.
