Ounahi Brace Powers Morocco Past Canada Into Quarters
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- Morocco defeated co-hosts Canada 3-0 in the World Cup Round of 16 to become the first nation to clinch a quarterfinal berth at the tournament.
- Azzedine Ounahi scored twice in the second half — in the 50th and 82nd minutes — breaking the deadlock after Morocco weathered a dominant Canadian first half.
- Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal in the eighth minute of stoppage time, sliding the ball home to complete the rout.
- The opening goal came from a clever free-kick routine: Achraf Hakimi opted against crossing and instead pulled the ball back to Ounahi, who swept it home from the edge of the box.
- Yassine Bounou preserved Morocco's clean sheet with key saves, notably denying Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi after the forward turned sharply in the box during the first half.
- Canada became the first of the three tournament co-hosts to be eliminated, undone by a lack of cutting edge despite controlling large stretches of the first half.
- Brahim Díaz provided the assist on Ounahi's second, laying the ball back after a Morocco counter-attack exposed Canada's high press.
Why it matters: Morocco's clinical finishing — two goals from Ounahi and a stoppage-time third from Rahimi — separated two evenly matched sides on the day and sends a North African nation into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1986. For Canada, exiting as the first co-host out underscores the gap between first-half intent and end product that ultimately defined their campaign.
