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Morocco became the first team to book a place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a commanding 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in their Round of 16 encounter, extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches and ending the hosts' memorable campaign.
Despite the convincing scoreline, Morocco had to withstand significant pressure during the opening half as Canada made the brighter start in front of their home supporters. Jesse Marsch's side created the game's first clear opportunity inside the opening 15 minutes when Tani Oluwaseyi found himself through on goal, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou reacted sharply to deny the Canadian forward from close range. Canada continued to threaten as Alistair Johnston rose unmarked inside the penalty area, only to direct his header straight at a Moroccan defender. Morocco, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm before the break, with their only notable attempt coming from a long-range strike by Soufiane Rahimi that was comfortably collected by Maxime Crepeau. The match changed dramatically after halftime as Morocco emerged with renewed purpose. Just five minutes into the second half, an intelligently worked free-kick unlocked the Canadian defence. Achraf Hakimi picked out the unmarked Azzedine Ounahi on the edge of the area, and the midfielder calmly swept his finish into the bottom corner to hand the Africans a crucial breakthrough. Canada searched for a route back into the contest but failed to make their opportunities count. Jonathan David wasted a promising free-kick from the edge of the area by sending his effort well over the crossbar, while substitute Tajon Buchanan forced Bounou into an excellent save with a powerful long-range strike as the co-hosts increased the pressure. As Canada pushed forward in search of an equaliser, Morocco struck decisively on the counterattack. Brahim Diaz burst down the right flank before cutting the ball back for Ounahi, who smashed an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net to complete his brace and effectively seal Morocco's passage into the last eight. Soufiane Rahimi added further gloss to the result by scoring Morocco's third goal with virtually the final kick of the match, capping an outstanding second-half display from Mohamed Ouahbi's side. The victory extends Morocco's impressive record in knockout football, with seven wins from their last nine matches in the knockout stages of major international tournaments. While Canada's World Cup journey ended in disappointment, the co-hosts leave the tournament having achieved a historic milestone by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time in their history. (ANI)
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