Houston, Texas—Morocco dispatched Canada in the Round of 16 with three lethal counterattacks in a match that ended 3-0 in favor of the North Africans, with more than 68,000 fans in attendance at the stadium in Houston.
The team coached by Mohamed Ouhabi was a far cry from the side seen in Monterrey against the Netherlands, at times stifled by a game plan devised by Canadian coach Jesse Marsh to complicate matters for the North African squad.
Even Canada’s offensive attacks at times created a greater sense of danger, including one instance that tested goalkeeper Yassine Buono, who had to give it his all to save Morocco’s goal with a spectacular stop in a one-on-one situation against Canadian forward Tani Oluwaseyi in the 10th minute of the first half
It was in the 50th minute that Azzedine Ounahui began to break open a match that had proven difficult for the Maghreb side, with a powerful, low and well-placed, beyond the reach of Canadian goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who could do little or nothing to stop the shot from the midfielder who plays for Girona in Spain’s second division.
In the 78th minute, Buono once again prevented a Canadian goal after a dangerous shot by Tajon Buchanan; the ball initially bounced off the Moroccan goalkeeper but he reacted quickly to deflect it for a corner kick.
It was in the 81st minute that Morocco sealed the victory, when, on a breakaway down the left flank, Brahim Diaz received the ball in the box; after cutting inside, he set up Ounahui, who fired a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net defended by Crépeau.
And as if that weren’t punishment enough for a spent Canada, Morocco scored their third goal in stoppage time, on a play that began in midfield and, after a series of passes, ended at the feet of Soufiani Rahimi, who finished it off mercilessly.
Morocco now awaits its opponent—either France or Paraguay—who will face off this Saturday, July 4, in Philadelphia.
For Canada, there remains a bittersweet feeling: despite being one of the World Cup host nations, it was unable to secure first place in its group to advance directly to the next round, instead having to play the Round of 32 in Los Angeles, California, and the Round of 16 in Houston. Nevertheless, it is a historic performance for the Maple Leaf nation.
With this, the action at the Houston stadium comes to an end for the 2026 World Cup, where it hosted a total of six matches, featuring teams such as Brazil, the Netherlands, and Portugal, among others.
