Was Canada the better team? Morocco's coach: It takes a good deal of courage to say that after a 0-3 loss

Canada started actively in the first half but failed to capitalize on their territorial dominance. The match grew increasingly physical and emotional, with referee Michael Oliver issuing six of the total eight yellow cards in the first half alone. After the break, Morocco proved more effective. In the 50th minute, Azzedine Ounahi put them ahead, converting a free-kick assist from Achraf Hakimi. He then successfully finished a swift counter-attack in the 82nd minute to add a second goal. In stoppage time, Soufiane Rahimi sealed a 3-0 victory for the North African nation after another break and an assist from Brahim Diaz.

“It’s incredible. We knew we were in for a big game against Canada, who would give absolutely everything on the pitch. And that’s exactly what happened. Their pressing caused us significant problems in the first half. However, the strength of this team for years has been that we never give up. At halftime, we tried to stay calm. We have to admit, Canada started the game brilliantly. We weren't ourselves. But the coach remained calm, and together we analyzed the first half to find solutions and come back stronger after the break. We started the second half well and managed to hold on until the end,” Moroccan midfielder Neil El Aynaoui was quoted by the FIFA website.

The “Atlas Lions” remain undefeated in the tournament. They advanced from Group C in second place with 7 points, even after a draw with Brazil. In the Round of 16, they eliminated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, handing them their earliest World Cup exit in history. This marks their second consecutive quarter-final appearance, and they aim to replicate their 2022 success when they became the first African team to reach the semi-finals.

“We are immensely proud to represent Africa. It’s a continent with immense talent and deserves to be among the football elite,” goalkeeper Yassine Bounou stated, according to AP. “We are no longer a surprise. When people talk about Morocco today, they talk about one of the main contenders for success, and we are incredibly proud of that. I think this is just the beginning, and I hope we continue to achieve similar successes. We want to keep going. We don’t want to stop,” commented Morocco’s head coach Mohamed Ouahbi.

However, in the 22nd minute, he was displeased to be forced into a substitution, as Ismael Saibari, who had scored three goals in the tournament, had to leave the field. The severity of his injury was not immediately known after the match. “We suffered. When you face a team that plays with such intensity as Canada, you know there will be tough moments. If you want to go far in the tournament, you have to manage them,” Ouahbi reacted, according to DPA.

In their third World Cup appearance, Canada advanced from the group stage for the first time in history and won a knockout match, defeating South Africa 1-0 in the Round of 16. However, their second-place finish in Group B meant they had to leave Canada, playing their knockout matches in the USA.

“I told the players I was proud of them. At the same time, I urged them to understand that we can always play like this, even against the best teams in the world. We can be even better. The way we pressed, the way we played, the quality we showed, and the overall impression we left, we were better. Today, we were the better team than the seventh-ranked team in the world,” Canadian coach Jesse Marsch declared, according to AP. His counterpart, Ouahbi, responded sharply to these words: “They were very good in terms of intensity. They played at full throttle for 98 minutes. Were they better? That’s hard to say. It takes a good deal of courage to say something like that after a 0-3 loss.”

The performances of the co-hosting nation’s national team were also positively assessed by Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, according to the FIFA website: “I think we had a great tournament. Up until the halfway point of this match, we were exceptional. Everyone back home can be very proud of us. We believed we could win this game, especially after the first half. We had the upper hand, we fought, we created chances, our set pieces were working. But then we conceded from a set piece, and after that, we had to take more risks. In our attempt to turn the game around, the opponent punished us with quick counter-attacks.”

Canada advanced to the Round of 16 despite missing Alphonso Davies for most of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich player only featured for 15 minutes as a substitute in the victory over South Africa but was unavailable against the reigning African champions. “His hamstring wasn’t right. We hoped that when he woke up in the morning, he would feel better, but that wasn’t the case,” Marsch explained.

Morocco will face France in the quarter-finals on Thursday, July 9, at 10:00 PM CEST in Foxborough. “Les Bleus” eliminated them in the semi-finals four years ago.