2026 World Cup: Morocco crush Canada (3-0) thanks to an Ounahi masterclass

04.07.26 FT World Cup

Canada

0

:

Morocco

3

Morocco stormed into the quarter-finals with a dazzling 3-0 victory over Canada, highlighted by a second-half brace from Azzedine Ounahi.

Canada actually started this round of 16 clash on the front foot, rattling Morocco early with five corners in under ten minutes. Yassine Bounou was outstanding between the sticks, keeping the Lions in it by parrying a sharp-angled shot from Jonathan David and then denying a close-range effort from Tani Oluwaseyi.

See also: 2026 World Cup: Canada pushes Morocco, 0-0 at halftime in Houston

Morocco also had to cope with the early loss of their top scorer in the tournament, Ismael Saibari, who was forced off in the 22nd minute and replaced by Soufiane Rahimi. Tensions flared in the 39th minute with a heated altercation between Achraf Hakimi and Richie Laryea, both earning yellow cards. Halftime score: 0-0.

Second half: the Azzedine Ounahi show

Right after the restart, Azzedine Ounahi broke the deadlock with a stunning strike, confirmed after a VAR review (49'). The Moroccan midfielder doubled the advantage in the 81st minute, expertly set up by Brahim Díaz. In stoppage time, Soufiane Rahimi put the result beyond doubt, converting another assist from Brahim Díaz to make it 3-0. Morocco marches confidently into the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the clash between France and Paraguay.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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