Morocco sweep past Canada to book World Cup quarterfinal place

Morocco are through to the World Cup quarterfinals after a 3-0 win over co-hosts Canada. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice in the second half before Soufiane Rahimi sealed the result in stoppage time.

Canada applied pressure before halftime, but Morocco held firm and shifted the match after the break. The opener came in the 50th minute when Achraf Hakimi’s set-piece choice created space for Ounahi to finish from outside the box.

As Canada chased an equalizer, Morocco found room to counter. Brahim Díaz set up Ounahi’s second in the 82nd minute, and Rahimi later added the third to confirm Morocco as the first team into the quarterfinals of this World Cup.

Yassine Bounou was also central to the clean sheet, making key saves including stops against Tani Oluwaseyi and Tajon Buchanan. The match carried a physical edge, with eight yellow cards reported, while Ismael Saibari was withdrawn in the first half with an injury.

For Canada, the defeat closes a notable tournament run that included a first knockout-round win. Morocco now await the winner of Paraguay against France, with their latest deep run adding to their growing status on the world stage.