* To face France on Thursday, who earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay through Mbappé 70th minute penalty kick
* A deja vu meeting between the two after their first in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup™ Qatar 2022 in which France won 2-0
Maravi Express
Morocco became the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals more than once after beating co-hosts Canada 3-0 in Houston last night.
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They have set themselves a date with France, who earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Paraguay through Kylian Mbappé’s 70th minute penalty kick.
It’s a case of a deja vu meeting between the two after their first in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup™ Qatar 2022 in which France won 2-0 before losing to Argentina in the final.
Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi scored twice in the second half before Soufiane Rahimi added a late third as the Atlas Lions ended Canada’s impressive run and moved into the last eight for the second consecutive tournament.
For African football, it was another major statement from a Moroccan side that continues to show it can handle the pressure of knockout football.
The Atlas Lions were far from comfortable in the first half, but they improved after the break and finished strongly to extend their historic campaign.
Canada began the match with energy and belief, backed by the confidence of a team that had already made history by winning World Cup matches for the first time.
The co-hosts pressed high, forced Morocco into mistakes and won several early corners. Their best chance came after a loose pass from Morocco’s defence allowed Ali Ahmed to find Tani Oluwaseyi.
The Canadian forward turned sharply away from Redouane Halhal and went through on goal, but Yassine Bounou, Morocco’s Canada-born goalkeeper, spread himself well and saved with his left foot.
It was a crucial moment for Morocco, who struggled to impose their rhythm during the opening period. Their problems grew in the 22nd minute when Ismael Saibari — their leading scorer at the tournament — was forced off with an apparent muscle injury.
Rahimi came on in his place, but Morocco still needed time to settle and the second half brought a very different Morocco.
Mohamed Ouahbi’s side played with more control, greater confidence and sharper movement in midfield. The breakthrough arrived in the 50th minute from a clever set-piece routine.
Achraf Hakimi played the ball from the right across the edge of the penalty area, where Ounahi arrived near the D and swept a first-time shot past Maxime Crepeau and inside the left post.
It was a superb finish and a huge moment for the midfielder, whose first World Cup goal came when Morocco needed inspiration.
The goal changed the match. Canada’s intensity dropped, while Morocco grew in authority and began to find more space on the counter-attack.
Canada tried to respond and Tajon Buchanan tested goalkeeper Bounou with a low drive, but Morocco looked increasingly composed as they defended with discipline and waited for opportunities to break.
Their second goal arrived in the 82nd minute after a quick counter-attack. Brahim Diaz laid the ball off to Ounahi, who drove a powerful shot high into the roof of the net to put Morocco firmly in control.
It was a historic brace as Ounahi became the first African player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Senegal’s Henri Camara against Sweden in 2002.
It also continued a remarkable personal record, with Morocco having won every match in which Ounahi has scored.
Rahimi almost added a third when his header struck the crossbar, but he eventually got his goal deep into stoppage time.
Diaz slipped a pass through the Canadian defence, and Rahimi timed his run well before finishing smartly to complete a convincing victory.
The scoreline was harsh on Canada, who had started well and contributed to a lively contest, but Morocco’s quality and experience told in the second half.
Meanwhile, France edged past a stubborn and physical Paraguay side thanks to Kylian Mbappé penalty after a frustrating but dominant display.
Paraguay’s efforts to get under the skin of France’s superstars worked for three quarters of a game played in front of 68,324 fans in Philadelphia in heatwave conditions.
However, the quality in the French ranks eventually shone through, with Mbappe converting from the spot on 70 minutes after Desire Doue was brought down.
This was not an attacking masterclass by the French like they had produced in their previous games, but Paraguay did not allow them to play that way.
It was very much a mismatch, though, with Les Bleus having almost all of the ball and Paraguay not managing a shot on target until the 90th minute.
Qatar 2022: Messi won the title, Mbappe the Golden Boot
Mbappe’s brilliant World Cup on a personal level continued as he rejoined Lionel Messi as the tournament’s joint-top scorer with seven goals.
The Real Madrid striker now has 19 World Cup goals in total, from 19 appearances, meaning he is just one behind Messi’s overall record of 20.—Reporting by CAFonline & France24; editing by Maravi Express
Knockout stages results
Round of 32
* South Africa 0-1 Canada
* Jordan 1-3 Argentina
* Brazil 2-1 Japan
* Germany 1(3)-Paraguay 1(4)
* Netherlands 1(2)-Morocco 1(3)
* Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Norway
* France 3-0 Sweden
* Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
* England 1-2 DR Congo
* Belgium 3-2 Senegal
* USA 2-0 Bosnia & Herzegovina
* Spain 3-0 Austria
* Portugal 2-1 Croatia
* Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
* Australia 1(2)-1(4) Egypt
* Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde
* Colombia 1-0 Ghana
Round of 16
Saturday
* Canada 0-3 Morocco
* Paraguay 0-1 France
Today
* Brazil v Norway (22h00)
* Mexico v England (02h00)
Tomorrow
* Portugal v Spain (21h00)
* USA v Belgium (02h00)
Tuesday
* Argentina v Egypt (18h00)
* Switzerland v Colombia (22h00)
Quarterfinals
July 9
* Morocco v France
* Belgium/USA v Spain/Portugal
July 10
* Brazil/Norway v Mexico/England
* Argentina/Egypt v Switzerland/Colombia
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