Azzedine Ounahi scored twice as Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 to become the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals more than once.
Morocco World Cup history continued on Saturday as Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 to reach the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.
The victory makes Morocco the first African nation to qualify for the World Cup quarterfinals on more than one occasion.
It also marks the team’s second consecutive appearance in the last eight after its historic run to the semifinals in 2022.
Ounahi inspires Morocco
The first half ended without a goal despite chances for both sides.
However, Morocco broke the deadlock in the 50th minute.
Azzedine Ounahi collected a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and fired a right-footed shot into the bottom corner from outside the penalty area.
Later, Ounahi doubled Morocco’s lead in the 82nd minute after finishing a pass from Brahim Díaz.
Meanwhile, Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal in stoppage time to complete an impressive victory.
Quarterfinal challenge awaits
Morocco will face the winner of the France-Paraguay match in the World Cup quarterfinals on Thursday at Boston Stadium.
The North African side entered the knockout stage after defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.
Canada’s historic campaign ends
Canada’s defeat brought an end to its best-ever FIFA World Cup campaign.
Earlier, the tournament co-host reached the knockout stage for the first time and defeated South Africa 1-0 to secure a place in the round of 16.
Late in the match, Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan created Canada’s best scoring opportunities.
However, goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produced several important saves to preserve Morocco’s clean sheet.
Physical contest
The match featured several tough challenges throughout.
As a result, the referee issued eight yellow cards, with each team receiving four.
Morocco also suffered an injury setback after midfielder Ismael Saibari left the field in the 22nd minute.
