Clinical Morocco break Canadian hearts to reach World Cup quarters

Morocco advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, ending co-host Canada's historic run with a decisive 3-0 victory in Houston. The 2022 semi-finalists will now face either France or Paraguay in the next round.

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It's a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives.

Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring in the 50th minute with a powerful strike, and then doubled Morocco's lead to finally break Canada's resistance. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi sealed the win with the final kick of the game.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged the difficulty of World Cup matches, stating, "We reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels." He credited their success to capitalizing on the space Canada left open.

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We reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels. I have to recognise that Canada were impressive, they played a top match.

Canada, playing the biggest game in their football history, were the better side for much of the first half, creating several chances. Coach Jesse Marsch expressed pride in his team's performance, saying, "What a privilege our fans have had to root on a team like this - that goes after the game, does not play defensive." He added, "As good as Morocco are, I'd rather be us. I'm really proud of our guys."

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It was no surprise for us, but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us, that was the key.

Despite the loss, Canada achieved a historic milestone by winning a World Cup match and a knockout game for the first time to reach the last 16. The match was played in front of a crowd of 68,777 at the Houston Stadium.

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What a privilege our fans have had to root on a team like this - that goes after the game, does not play defensive.