By Michael Kahn
HOUSTON, July 4 (Reuters) – Morocco dispatched a determined Canada 3-0 in the World Cup last 16 on Saturday as Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and the North Africans ended the co-hosts’ record run while advancing to the quarter-finals for the second time in a row.
The scoreline flattered Morocco, who were on the back foot for most of the opening period and failed to register an attempt on goal until the 28th minute after Canada had spurned a number of solid chances.
The tame first-half performance caused Morocco’s visibly frustrated coach Mohamed Ouahbi to shake his head on the touchline following misplaced passes and needless errors before his players turned things around in the second period.
“It’s a World Cup match and these are difficult games with teams playing for their lives,” he said. “We reacted very well in the second half in the second balls and the duels.”
“I have to recognise that Canada were impressive – they played a top match. It was no surprise for us but in the second half we were able to profit from the space they left us – that was the key.”
Morocco also suffered an early blow when Ismael Saibari, who has scored three goals in the tournament, was forced off due to a hamstring injury and replaced by Soufiane Rahimi in the 22nd minute during a feisty first half in which the referee issued six yellow cards.
The 2022 semi-finalists struggled as an energised Canada came out aggressively from the opening whistle, pushing forward and pressing as Morocco struggled to click into gear.
Tani Oluwaseyi nearly gave Canada the lead early on when Morocco turned the ball over with the midfielder driving into the penalty area where he rifled a low shot that Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved with his leg.
“They caused us a lot of problems with their pressing in the first half,” Morocco midfielder Neil El Aynaoui said. “But the strength of this team for years now has been that we never give up, and today it went our way.”
FAIRYTALE RUN
It looked like the co-hosts might prolong their fairytale run in the tournament but they paid for failing to convert their early chances when Morocco snatched the lead five minutes after the restart.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi played a low pass from the right-hand side during a well-worked free kick routine to the unmarked Ounahi, who side-footed into the bottom corner of the net from 25 yards.
That goal took the air out of a Canada side who had to do without their talisman Alphonso Davies, who has struggled with fitness issues throughout a tournament in which they notched their first point and win at a World Cup.
Davies said he warmed up but felt something in his hamstring so decided to sit the match out because he and the coaches decided they needed players on the pitch able to go full speed.
“Mentally for me it was tough,” Davies said. “Every game to sit there and watch, knowing you want to be on the pitch, it’s tough. At the end of the day I knew I had to support the guys a different way.”
Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated the team on X for their historic run while Marsch praised his players for the way they took the match to Morocco.
“They made a couple more plays than us but cranking up the intensity was not the issue,” Marsch said. “It’s just they have a little bit more quality in the final third and we lacked a bit of ability to make a play when we needed it.”
Ounahi added a second on 82 minutes when a four-on-two break led to Brahim Diaz teeing the midfielder up to fire into the top corner as Canada got caught out trying to push forward for the equaliser.
The two goals made Ounahi the first African player to score twice in a knockout round match since Senegal’s Henri Camara notched a double against Sweden in 2002.
Morocco, who will face the winners of Saturday’s last-16 clash between Paraguay and France in the quarter-finals on July 9, added a late third via another lightning break as substitute Rahimi crowned a convincing performance.
(Additional reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond and Christian Radnedge)
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