2026 World Cup: Azzedine Ounahi Named Man of the Match After Brace Against Canada

Moroccan midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, a graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, was named Man of the Match after Morocco’s 3-0 victory over Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Houston, a win that secured the Atlas Lions’ place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ounahi delivered an outstanding performance, scoring a decisive brace in the second half. He opened the scoring before adding a second goal to put Morocco firmly on course for a historic qualification. Soufiane Rahimi sealed the victory with a third goal late in the match.

The award recognized the Moroccan midfielder’s commanding display, his influence in midfield and his attacking efficiency in this knockout encounter.

Ounahi is regarded as one of the success stories of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, which has played a key role in developing several Moroccan internationals competing at the highest level.

Following the victory, Morocco advances to the World Cup quarter-finals, where it will face the winner of the match between France and Paraguay.

Morocco’s national football team booked its place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Canada 3-0 on Saturday at Houston Stadium.

The Atlas Lions broke the deadlock in the second half through a brace from Azzedine Ounahi, who opened the scoring in the 50th minute before adding his second goal in the 82nd minute.

Soufiane Rahimi sealed Morocco’s victory deep into stoppage time (90+8), scoring the third goal to complete an emphatic win.

Defensively solid and far more enterprising after the break, Mohamed Ouahbi’s men controlled the game before capitalizing on the spaces left by the Canadians to secure a fully deserved qualification.

In the quarter-finals, Morocco will face the winner of the match between France and Paraguay.

The Moroccan football team qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after its victory against the Netherlands on penalties (3-2), Monday evening at the Monterrey stadium, in Mexico.

At the end of an intense and indecisive meeting, the two teams parted with a parity score (1-1) at the end of regulation time and overtime.

The Netherlands opened the scoring through Cody Gakpo in the 72nd minute, before Morocco came back into the game thanks to Issa Diop, scorer of the equalizing goal in the first minute of added time.

During the penalty shootout, the Atlas Lions were more effective in securing their ticket to the next round of the competition.

The Moroccan football national team will face its Dutch counterpart in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, on June 29 at the Monterrey stadium in Mexico.

The Atlas Lions, who finished second in group C with seven points behind Brazil on goal difference, will take on the first in group F for a spot in the round of 16.

Morocco made it to the first knockout round after holding Brazil (1-1) to a draw in its first game, before winning against Scotland (1-0) and Haiti (4-2).

The Netherlands, for their part, finished at the top of Group F to secure their ticket to the round of 32.

The winner of the Morocco-Netherlands match will face the winner between Canada and South Africa in the round of 16 to be played on July 4 in Houston, Texas.

For its part, Brazil, which finished first in Group C, will face Japan, second in Group F.

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi hailed his side’s qualification for the next round of the FIFA World Cup following their 4-2 victory over Haiti, stressing that the achievement was above all the result of strong collective teamwork.

“I’m satisfied. We won the match and secured qualification. That’s what matters most,” Ouahbi said during the post-match press conference.

The Moroccan coach was keen to highlight the contribution of the entire squad, steering away from individual performances.

“I’m not going to focus on individuals. The whole group did an excellent job. Some players had not seen much playing time up to now, but they stepped up when called upon,” he said.

Ouahbi also emphasized the depth and complementarity within the Moroccan squad.

“We don’t have starters and substitutes. We have a complementary group in which every player fulfills his role perfectly when he comes on. The goals scored today by Rahimi and Gessime are a perfect illustration of that,” he explained.

The Moroccan coach added that his team’s greatest strength lies in its unity and mentality.

“We have a very good team. Our strength is the group. We respect all our opponents, but we fear no one and approach every match with the ambition to win,” he said.

Reflecting on the preparation for the match, Ouahbi noted that his staff had anticipated every possible scenario.

“We were prepared for all possibilities. Whatever our position in the standings, our objective remains the same: preserve the unity of the group, analyze our opponents thoroughly, and give everything on the pitch,” he concluded.

FIFA has named Atlas Lions captain Achraf Hakimi as Man of the Match following Morocco’s 4-2 victory over Haiti on Wednesday at Atlanta Stadium in their Group C fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Moroccan right-back delivered a decisive performance, scoring the equalizer (1-1) before providing an assist late in the first half that enabled Ismaël Saibari to level the score once again at 2-2.

Influential at both ends of the pitch, Hakimi was one of the key architects of Morocco’s victory, which secured the Atlas Lions a place in the knockout stage of the tournament.

With the win, Morocco finished second in Group C, level on points with group leaders Brazil, who claimed top spot on goal difference after defeating Scotland 3-0.

The Atlas Lions will play their Round of 16 match on June 29 at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico against the winners of Group F.