Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Canada during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match in Houston, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo\/David J. Phillip)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-07-04T19:07:16Z<\/p>\n
HOUSTON (AP) \u2014 Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead Morocco to a 3-0 win over Canada in the World Cup<\/a><\/span> round of 16 Saturday to make the country the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals more than once.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Morocco\u2019s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022.<\/p>\n Neither team was able to break through until Ounahi took a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and made a right-footed shot through traffic from outside the box to the bottom right corner to put Morocco on top 1-0 in the 50th minute.<\/p>\n Ounahi made it 2-0 on a right-footed shot from the middle of the box off a pass from Brahim D\u00edaz in the 82nd minute.<\/p>\n Soufiane Rahimi added a goal in the final minute of stoppage time. <\/p>\n Morocco advances to face the winner of Saturday\u2019s Paraguay-France match on Thursday at Boston Stadium.<\/p>\n The loss ends a historic run for World Cup co-host Canada, which won its first-ever knockout round with a 1-0 victory over South Africa<\/a><\/span> to reach Saturday\u2019s match. The country was playing in the World Cup for just the third time and the run enchanted a nation that is normally far more interested in hockey than the pitch.<\/p>\n Morocco, which is ranked sixth in the FIFA rankings, dispatched the Netherlands in a penalty shootout<\/a><\/span> to reach the round of 16 and send the country to its earliest World Cup exit.<\/p>\n Canada had a couple of chances to score late. Jonathan David had a free kick from outside the box in the 78th minute, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.<\/p>\n