Proving It Was Skill, Not Luck: Morocco Becomes First African Team to Reach Quarterfinals in Two Consecutive World Cups

[Anchor]

In the Round of 16 of the North and Central American World Cup, Morocco secured a decisive victory over the host nation, Canada, led by two goals from Ounahi. Proving that their semifinal run in the previous tournament was no fluke, they have become the first African team to reach the quarterfinals in two consecutive World Cups.

Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story.

[Reporter]

Morocco, ranked 7th in the FIFA rankings, struggled against the host nation, Canada, who were considered the underdogs, failing to record a single shot until the middle of the first half.

They even faced the risk of conceding a goal during the opponent's counterattacks, breathing a sigh of relief thanks to goalkeeper Yassine Bounou's saves. They also faced a setback when forward Saibari, who had scored three goals, was substituted due to an injury during the first half.

It was midfielder Ounahi who turned the tide of the difficult match.

In the 5th minute of the second half, Ounahi received a free kick from Hakimi and fired a powerful right-footed one-touch shot to score his first goal of the tournament, instantly shifting the momentum. With a narrow 1-0 lead, he completed a multi-goal performance in the 37th minute of the second half by finishing a pass from Diaz with another right-footed shot.

Adding a clinching goal from Rahimi just before the final whistle, Morocco secured a 3-0 victory, scoring three goals from just five shots—the fewest by any winning team in the tournament's history.

Morocco proved that their semifinal appearance in the previous tournament was not a coincidence, writing a new chapter in history as the first African team to reach the quarterfinals in two consecutive tournaments.

Morocco will face France in the quarterfinals, aiming for revenge after their defeat in the semifinals four years ago.

[Regragui / Morocco National Football Team Head Coach: It is not a matter of revenge or personal gain. I just want to go as high as possible and make our fans and our people proud.]

Canada, led by head coach Jesse Marsch—who was a candidate for the South Korean national team head coach position two years ago—became the first of the co-host nations to be eliminated, but they concluded the tournament having written a new history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time.

(Video Editing: Hwang Ji-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.