Azzedine Ounahi’s second-half double helped Morocco overcome a lukewarm start and beat Canada 3-0 in Houston on Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals for the second straight World Cup.
Morocco, undefeated in 34 matches, plays June 9 in Boston against the winner of the France-Paraguay match later Saturday.
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 streak ended after failing to take advantage of early dominance. They had never made it past the group stage before this year, but they did and won their first knockout match, 1-0 against South Africa in the round of 32.
Morocco is ranked number 6 in the FIFA world ranking; Canada 30.
There were four yellow cards each and Canada had 24 fouls to Morocco’s 14.
After a listless first half, Morocco surprised Canada with a goal out of nowhere on just their second shot of the game.
Achraf Hakimi lined up for a free kick to the right of the goal after a yellow card, his seventh of the match, to Canadian Luc de Fougerolles for a careless foul on Soufiane Rahimi.
Hakimi laid the ball down to Ounahi on the edge of the box and he fired a shot into the right corner with the Canadians trapped a step back.
In the 77th minute, Canada’s Jonathan David sent a free kick from outside the box over the bar and a minute later, a long shot from teammate Tajon Buchanan forced a diving save at the left post by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
That proved crucial when Ounahi received a pass from Brahim Díaz to make it 2-0.
Morocco suffered a 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 stage matches and on Wednesday it was announced that he will join Germany’s Bayern Munich from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.
Canada did not look like a nervous team in its first round of 16 against a 2022 World Cup semi-finalist.
As is the style of American coach Jesse Marsch, the Canadians attacked from the beginning. Within five minutes, Bounou made a close-range save from David and soon followed up with a punch on a Stephen Eustaquio corner, but made his best save in the 12th minute after Canada’s pressure resulted in a breakaway.
Tani Oluwaseyi received the ball at the top of the box, made a sharp turn and then fired a low shot that forced Bounou to save with his extended left leg.
During the hydration break, Canada had taken all four shots, two of them on goal, in the game.
