Azzedine Ounahi’s second-half brace helped Morocco overcome a lukewarm start to a 3-0 win over Canada in Houston on Saturday to advance to the quarter-finals for a second straight World Cup.
Morocco, unbeaten in 34 games, will play the winner of the France-Paraguay match later Saturday in Boston on June 9.
Ounahi gave Morocco the lead in the 50th minute and added another in the 82nd minute on a breakaway before Soufiane Rahimi scored against a pressing Canada in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
Canada’s dream run ended after failing to capitalize on early dominance. They had never before this year progressed from the group stage, but did so and won their first knockout match, 1–0 against South Africa in the round of 16.
Morocco is No. 6 in the Fifa world rankings; Canada on the 30th.
There were four yellow cards each and Canada had 24 fouls to Morocco’s 14.
After a sluggish first half, Morocco surprised Canada with a goal from nowhere on only their second shot of the game.
Achraf Hakimi lined up for a free kick to the right of the goal after a yellow card, the game’s seventh, to Canada’s Luc de Fougerolles for a sloppy foul on Soufiane Rahimi.
Hakimi laid the ball on the ground to Ounahi on the edge of the box and he one-timed a shot into the right corner with the Canadians caught a step behind.
In the 77th minute, Canada’s Jonathan David sent a free kick from the box over the crossbar, and a minute later teammate Tajon Buchanan’s long strike forced a diving stop at the left post by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
It proved decisive as Ounahi took a layoff pass from Brahim Diaz to make it 2-0.
Morocco suffered a major blow in the 22nd minute when top scorer Ismael Saibari had to leave with a possible hamstring injury. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder scored in all three group games and on Wednesday it was announced that he had joined Germany’s Bayern Munich from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
Canada looked nothing like a nervous team in their first round of 16 against a 2022 World Cup semi-finalist.
As is the style of American-born coach Jesse Marsch, the Canadians were on the attack from the start. Within five minutes, Bounou made a close-range save on David and followed soon after with a strike from a Stephen Eustaquio corner, but he made his best stop in the 12th after Canada’s pressure resulted in a giveaway.
Tani Oluwaseyi received the ball at the top of the box, made a sharp turn and then fired a low shot that required Bounou to save with his outstretched left leg.
At the hydration break, Canada had all four shots, two on goal, in the game.
