Morocco waited through a bruising first half, then cut Canada open after halftime. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and Soufiane Rahimi added the last touch of a 3-0 Round of 16 win that sent Morocco into the World Cup quarterfinals.
The match reached halftime scoreless, but not calm. Redouane Halhal, Achraf Hakimi, Richie Laryea, Jonathan David, Ounahi and Bilal El Khannouss were all booked before the break, while Morocco had already lost Ismael Saibari to injury after 22 minutes. That stop-start opening left Canada with set pieces and territory, but not enough clean chances.
Ounahi broke it in the 50th minute, driving a right-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom corner after Hakimi’s set-piece involvement. It was the goal that changed the game’s shape. Canada had 11 corners and 10 shots, yet Morocco had the sharper final-third work and put four of its five shots on target.
Canada’s run had already included a late push past South Africa, but this knockout step asked for more precision. Jesse Marsch’s side finished with three shots on target, 44.6 percent possession and four yellow cards. Morocco defended the box, let Yassine Bounou handle what reached him and then punished the space Canada left chasing the match.
Morocco’s transition game ended Canada’s run
The second goal arrived in the 82nd minute and came with the game stretched. Brahim Díaz released Ounahi, who finished from the center of the box into the top right corner. For a Canada team pushing for a way back, it was the kind of break that turns pressure into punishment.
Rahimi, the substitute who entered for Saibari, made it three in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Díaz supplied that one too, and Morocco’s late transition edge looked a lot like the composure that helped it survive the Netherlands penalty shootout in the previous round.
For Canada, the exit will sting because the home crowd had enough moments to believe. The final score was harsher than the corner count or shot total suggested, but Morocco’s efficiency told the story: fewer attacks, better shots, and no hesitation once Canada opened up.
Morocco moves on with Ounahi in form, Díaz creating at the decisive moments and a quarterfinal place secured without needing extra time. Canada leaves with a Round of 16 finish, a hard lesson in knockout margins and a home tournament that ended in Houston before it could reach the last eight.
