By Amaechi Agbo

Morocco thrashed co-host Canada 3-0 on Saturday at Houston Stadium to book their ticket to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals.

A second-half masterclass powered by an Azzedine Ounahi brace shattered Canadian hearts and ensured Morocco became the first African nation in football history to reach the final eight more than once.

The first half was a feisty, stop-start affair defined by gritty midfield battles and a flurry of discipline issues. Referee Michael Oliver handed out five yellow cards before the break as Jesse Marsch’s Canada side attempted to rattle the North Africans with high-intensity physical pressure.

Canada found early looks through Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi, but Morocco’s wall, anchored by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, stood firm to keep the game deadlocked.

The tactical dynamic completely inverted after the interval. In the 50th minute, Morocco executed a perfectly drawn set-piece routine. Achraf Hakimi rolled a clever free-kick back into space, allowing Azzedine Ounahi to blast a sublime low strike past Maxime Crépeau from outside the penalty box.

As Canada threw bodies forward to keep their historic tournament run alive, Morocco’s elite technical counter-attacking took full advantage. Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Díaz carved through the Canadian lines with an excellent touch, teeing up Ounahi for a clinical close-range finish to make it 2-0.

Deep into stoppage time, substitute Soufiane Rahimi capitalized on a defensive lapse to smash home a third unanswered goal, sparking wild celebrations in a sea of red at Houston Stadium.

While the loss brings a painful conclusion to Canada’s breakthrough co-hosting campaign, Morocco’s golden generation continues to build on their legendary 2022 semifinal momentum.

The Atlas Lions will now pack their bags for Boston Stadium, where they await the winner of the high-stakes Round of 16 battle between France and Paraguay.