Morocco up next as Canada bid to extend dream World Cup run

Canada's men's national soccer team is making waves in its third World Cup appearance, already securing a place in the country's sporting history. The team has captured the imagination of a nation more accustomed to celebrating ice hockey.

Alphonso Davies, the team's talisman, played his first minutes of the tournament in the round-of-32 victory over South Africa and could start against Morocco. Coach Jesse Marsch acknowledged the challenge, describing the preparation for Morocco as a "horrible nightmare," but emphasized the team's desire to compete and their opportunity to defy expectations.

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Preparing for Morocco is like a gory, horrible nightmare. But we want to be here and we expect to be here. So we know that everybody's going to write us off, and in that is an opportunity.

Morocco, however, arrives with significant ambitions, having reached the 2022 World Cup semi-finals as the first African nation to do so. They have continued their strong performance, topping their group and eliminating the Netherlands in the round of 32. Organized, athletic, and technically gifted, Morocco plays with the confidence of a team aiming for another deep run.

Canada is in uncharted territory, fueled by momentum and enthusiasm. Morocco's squad, featuring many leaders from their 2022 campaign, brings crucial experience. "If we get things wrong, we'll go home," said Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbie. "We need to ensure that we have all the tools and we're using the tools in our arsenal to go as far as we can."

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If we get things wrong, we'll go home. We need to ensure that we have all the tools and we're using the tools in our arsenal to go as far as we can.