Morocco beat Canada 3-0 to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Clinical goals from Azzedine Ounahi and Soufiane Rahimi propelled Morocco to a 3-0 victory over Canada, securing their place in the World Cup quarter-finals. The win on Saturday in Houston marks the end of Canada's historic tournament run, making them the first co-host nation to exit the competition. Morocco, the 2022 semi-finalists, will now face either title favorites France or Paraguay in the next round.

After a first half characterized by numerous fouls rather than scoring opportunities, Ounahi broke the deadlock in the 50th minute with a well-placed shot. Canada, competing in the most significant match in their football history, pushed for an equalizer. However, Ounahi struck again in the 82nd minute with another breakaway goal, effectively sealing the victory. Rahimi added a third goal with the final kick of the match.

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Canada became the first of the co-hosts to exit the World Cup as a clinical Morocco won 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals on Saturday in Houston.

The result was tough on Canada, who had shown more promise in the opening period in front of a crowd of 68,777. Despite being clear underdogs, they had entered the knockout stage for the first time after securing their first-ever World Cup match win and then a knockout game win. Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi forced a save from Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou early on, and defender Alistair Johnston missed a key header from a corner.

Morocco, who had beaten Canada in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, appeared transformed in the second half. Despite an injury blow to Ismael Saibari early in the first half, the team found its rhythm after the break. The match saw six yellow cards, with four issued to Moroccan players, reflecting a tense and physical contest before Morocco's decisive second-half performance.

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The 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will face title favourites France or Paraguay as the business end of the tournament in North America approaches.