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Morocco's players marked their historic FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final qualification by celebrating with their supporters after a commanding 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday (Local Time).
The celebrations began immediately after the final whistle as players and members of the support staff gathered around Player of the Match Azzedine Ounahi, lifting the midfielder onto their shoulders after his match-winning brace. The squad then made their way towards the stands to acknowledge the travelling Moroccan supporters. Standing together, the players faced the fans and raised their hands above their heads, applauding in unison as a gesture of gratitude for the backing they received throughout the contest. The supporters responded by mirroring the team's celebration, creating a memorable moment between the players and fans. Morocco football team's official X account also shared a video of the celebrations and captioned the post, "Celebrating with our fans after reaching the quarter-finals." https://x.com/EnMaroc/status/2073499527500181947?s=20 The celebrations followed an impressive second-half display that saw Morocco become the first team to book a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals while extending their unbeaten run to 10 matches. The Moroccan forward Brahim Diaz also shared a post on X and wrote, "Together we are enormous. One more step toward the quarterfinals." https://x.com/Brahim/status/2073493443221782870?s=20 After surviving sustained Canadian pressure in the opening half, Morocco broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart through Ounahi. Achraf Hakimi's clever free-kick found the unmarked midfielder, who calmly slotted home to put the African side ahead. Canada attempted to fight back, with Jonathan David wasting a promising free-kick and substitute Tajon Buchanan forcing goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into an excellent save from long range. As the co-hosts committed numbers forward in search of an equaliser, Morocco struck again on the counterattack. Brahim Diaz raced down the right before cutting the ball back for Ounahi, who rifled his second goal into the roof of the net to put the outcome beyond doubt. Soufiane Rahimi added Morocco's third goal with virtually the final kick of the match to cap an outstanding second-half performance from Mohamed Ouahbi's side. The victory also continued Morocco's impressive record in knockout football, with seven wins from their last nine matches in the knockout stages of major international tournaments. Canada's campaign ended with the defeat, but the co-hosts departed the tournament after making history by reaching the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup for the first time. (ANI)
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