Morocco became the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals twice after defeating Canada in the last 16 of the 2026 tournament. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice and Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal to seal a victory that extends the Atlas Lions’ undefeated record against the North Americans to five matches.
The triumph marks a significant achievement for coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who replaced Walid Regragui in February following Morocco’s home Africa Cup of Nations campaign. Ouahbi has introduced a more progressive, offensive approach since taking charge, but this display demonstrated his side can still draw upon the defensive resilience that characterised their semi-final run in Qatar four years ago.
Match narrative
Canada began with intensity but failed to convert their early pressure into goals. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produced a vital save with his feet to deny Tani Oluwaseyi during the first-half onslaught. Morocco suffered a setback when Ismael Saibari, one of the tournament’s standout performers, was forced off with an injury shortly before the first hydration break.
Despite losing Saibari, Morocco seized control after the interval. Achraf Hakimi pulled back a free-kick for Ounahi to sweep home from just outside the area early in the second half. The midfielder was perhaps fortunate to avoid a second yellow card shortly before his opener after tugging at Ali Ahmed, a decision that prompted complaints from Canada’s Stephen Eustáquio to referee Michael Oliver.
Ounahi struck again following a break led by Chemsdine Talbi and Brahim Díaz, before Rahimi converted another Díaz-led transition in injury time to complete the scoring. The result ends Canada’s tournament journey and maintains Morocco’s psychological advantage over opponents they have now beaten in three of five encounters, with the other two fixtures ending in draws.
Historical context
This fixture represented only the second competitive meeting between the nations. Morocco’s previous World Cup victory over Canada came during the 2022 group stage in Qatar, when goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri secured a win that propelled the Atlas Lions to the semi-finals. Canada have still never defeated Morocco, with their record standing at three losses and two draws from fixtures dating back to 1984.
Tournament impact
The Atlas Lions advance to the quarter-finals where they will continue their bid to surpass the achievements of Regragui’s 2022 side. For Canada, the defeat marks another failure to secure a maiden victory over Morocco, leaving them to reflect on a campaign that promised much during their energetic opening period but ultimately lacked the cutting edge required in knockout football.