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Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead Morocco to a 3-0 win over Canada in the World Cup round of 16 Saturday to make the country the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals more than once, usnews.com reports.
It’s Morocco’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022.
Neither team was able to break through until Ounahi took a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and made a right-footed shot through traffic from outside the box to the bottom right corner to put Morocco on top 1-0 in the 50th minute.
Ounahi made it 2-0 on a right-footed shot from the middle of the box off a pass from Brahim Díaz in the 82nd minute.
Also Read: World Cup 2026: Dutch Players Suffer Racist Abuse After Penalty Shootout Defeat To Morocco
Soufiane Rahimi added another goal in the final minute of stoppage time.
Morocco advances to face the winner of Saturday’s Paraguay-France match on Thursday at Boston Stadium.
The loss ends a historic run for World Cup co-host Canada, which won its first-ever knockout round with a 1-0 victory over South Africa to reach Saturday’s match.
3 Comments
“It’s Morocco’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022”
Meanwhile it’s Nigeria’s second straight miss out on the world cup.
Morocco is making history that Nigeria was supposed to have forgotten they achieved because of deliberate planning.
Over 70% of Morocco’s squad were born abroad with the technical knowhow ingrained in them.
Yet, Nigerian simps are crying for home based players to be included in the eagles as if Moroccan league is inferior to npfl
It is a given that our 5th ranking in 1994 will be matched by Morocco 32 years later.
One regressed, the other on a high.
I hope Gusau now sees he’s not the man that will create any environment that will challenge Morocco?
Reguagui only came a few weeks to 2022 world cup for Morocco and reached the semis.
This coach replaced him under a few weeks before this world cup and slid into a system that was patiently built over the last couple of years.
Morocco haven’t lost in regulation time in more than 30 games, again, a record Nigeria should have long had if NFF were progressive.
Good thing is the other African nations are rubbing their development in our face and the more we see it, hopefully it will spur us to kick out Gusau who has been in NFF for more than 15 years in useless capacities, this September.
Morocco got few chances and were too clinical today. Unlike one yeye nation that couldn’t outsmart Lesotho in qualification.
See how cape Verde has caused the world to take notice of them.
It’s about time we purge the Glass House of undesirable elements.
Miscreants occupying delicate positions need to be relieved of their duties hastily.
If we keep these guys around, we might not even qualify for the next Afcon, and the 2030 world cup will pass us by also.
Football admin is a crucial part of football, and what happens on the pitch is a direct reflection of that. Prompt payment of coaches salaries and players bonuses, forward thinking policies, and proper maintenance of facilities is what will propel our football forward. We are languishing right now because of the rampant corruption and incompetence in the NFF.
If they will not resign on their own, then they need to be voted out of office or sacked completely.
@Sly, I buy your points.