Canada 0-3 Morocco: Ounahi Brace and Rahimi Seal Rout
Canada 0-3 Morocco: Ounahi Brace and Rahimi Seal RoutHouston Stadium, Texas — FIFA World Cup 2026, Round of 16
Morocco booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup with a comprehensive 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada, with a second-half brace from Azzedine Ounahi and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Soufiane Rahimi sealing the result. The win ends a historic run for Jesse Marsch’s Canada, who had reached the last 16 for the first time in their nation’s history, and sends Morocco through to the quarter-finals for the second straight World Cup — the first African nation ever to do so in back-to-back tournaments.
First Half: Canada Press, Morocco Absorb
The opening 45 minutes in Houston were tight, physical, and goalless, with Canada the more threatening side for long stretches. Jesse Marsch’s team pressed relentlessly from the opening whistle, and Tani Oluwaseyi had the best chance of the half, turning smartly in the box only to see his close-range effort brilliantly kept out by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Morocco absorbed the pressure but suffered a significant setback in the 21st minute when striker Ismael Saibari — the joint-top scorer of the group stage alongside Lionel Messi — was forced off with a hamstring injury. Soufiane Rahimi came on to lead the line in his place, and had an early sighter from around 25 yards that took a heavy deflection and was comfortably gathered by Maxime Crépeau.
The half was littered with cautions as the physical nature of the contest took hold. Achraf Hakimi and Richie Laryea were both booked following a heated confrontation, while Bilal El Khannouss, Azzedine Ounahi, and Canada’s Jonathan David were all shown yellow cards for a series of tactical fouls and mistimed challenges. The sides went in level at 0-0 after a breathless, six-card opening period.
Second Half: Ounahi Turns the Game, Rahimi Seals It
The deadlock was broken five minutes into the second half through a well-worked set piece. Hakimi’s clever free-kick cutback found Ounahi at the edge of the box, and the Girona midfielder fired a low shot through traffic to give Morocco the lead in the 50th minute — his first-ever World Cup goal after a tournament in 2022 where his influence had been felt everywhere except the scoresheet.
Canada responded by introducing fresh legs, but Morocco continued to look the more dangerous side in transition. In the 82nd minute, with Canada committed heavily forward in search of an equalizer, the Atlas Lions broke on the counter. Brahim Díaz picked out Ounahi, who took a slight touch off the pass and slammed his shot home to complete his brace and put Morocco 2-0 up.Azzedine Ounahi: The Midfielder Who Sank Canada With a Brace
With Canada now exposed at the back, Morocco added a third deep into stoppage time. Brahim Díaz again did the creating, feeding Rahimi, who kept his composure to slide a low finish into the bottom-right corner in the eighth minute of added time. Moments later, Ounahi very nearly turned provider for a fourth, whipping in a pinpoint cross that Rahimi headed against the underside of the crossbar as the match ran out of time.
Key Moments
- 21′ — Ismael Saibari forced off with a hamstring injury; Soufiane Rahimi comes on.
- 50′ — Azzedine Ounahi opens the scoring from a well-executed Hakimi free-kick routine.
- 82′ — Ounahi completes his brace on the counterattack, assisted by Brahim Díaz.
- 90+8′ — Soufiane Rahimi adds a third, again set up by Brahim Díaz.
- Full-time — Morocco win 3-0, ending Canada’s historic maiden knockout run.
Player of the Match: Azzedine Ounahi
There was only one candidate. Ounahi’s brace didn’t just decide the game — it did so in two entirely different ways, first finishing clinically from a well-drilled set piece and then showing real composure to convert on the counterattack under pressure. For a player whose reputation has largely been built on progressing the ball and controlling tempo rather than end product, this was a statement performance at the biggest possible stage. Honourable mention to Soufiane Rahimi, who turned an injury-enforced introduction into a match-sealing goal and an assist-worthy near-miss in the space of 70-odd minutes.
What This Result Means
For Morocco, this is a second straight World Cup quarter-final appearance, matching the trajectory of their historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago and confirming their status as one of the tournament’s most dangerous knockout sides. They now await the winner of France’s Round of 16 tie against Paraguay for a place in the semi-finals, with the quarter-final scheduled for July 9 in Boston.
For Canada, the tournament ends in the last 16, but the achievement of reaching this stage at all — as co-hosts, in their first-ever World Cup knockout appearance — represents genuine history for the program. Jesse Marsch’s side matched a well-drilled, battle-tested Morocco team for large periods and could easily have taken a first-half lead, but a clinical opponent made the difference in the game’s key moments. The final scoreline was harsh on a performance that offered plenty for Canadian football to build on beyond this tournament.
▪️▪️ follow us on facebook ▪️▪️
About the Author
