Vietnamese crab exporter

Morocco shakes off first-half slumber, ends Canada's dream run to reach quarters

Canada vs Morocco, FIFA World Cup Round of 16: Azzedine Ounahi struck twice before Soufiane Rahimi added a late third as Morocco shook off a sluggish first half to beat Canada 3-0, ending the co-hosts' historic World Cup run and booking a second straight quarter-final berth.

advertisement
FIFA World Cup 2026, Canada vs Morocco
FIFA World Cup 2026: Morocco went past Canada in the Round of 16. (Image: Reuters)

Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco eased past Canada with a 3-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on Saturday, ending the co-hosts' historic campaign and sealing a second successive quarter-final appearance.

After a scrappy first half, Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart through a clever free-kick routine. Achraf Hakimi rolled the ball into Ounahi's path, and the midfielder drilled a first-time effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

advertisement

Canada pushed for an equaliser but were caught on the counter as Ounahi doubled Morocco's lead in the 82nd minute after being picked out by Brahim Diaz. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a third late on to cap a dominant second-half display.

Morocco's only setback came when leading scorer Ismael Saibari limped off with a hamstring injury before half-time. They will face either France or Paraguay in the quarter-finals on July 9.

(more to follow)

FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News

- Ends
Published By:
Amar Panicker
Published On:
Jul 5, 2026 00:47 IST

Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco eased past Canada with a 3-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 on Saturday, ending the co-hosts' historic campaign and sealing a second successive quarter-final appearance.

After a scrappy first half, Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart through a clever free-kick routine. Achraf Hakimi rolled the ball into Ounahi's path, and the midfielder drilled a first-time effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Canada pushed for an equaliser but were caught on the counter as Ounahi doubled Morocco's lead in the 82nd minute after being picked out by Brahim Diaz. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi added a third late on to cap a dominant second-half display.

Morocco's only setback came when leading scorer Ismael Saibari limped off with a hamstring injury before half-time. They will face either France or Paraguay in the quarter-finals on July 9.

(more to follow)

FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News

- Ends
Published By:
Amar Panicker
Published On:
Jul 5, 2026 00:47 IST

IN THIS STORY

Read more!
advertisement

Explore More