Ouahbi after 3-0 over Canada: 'Morocco is no longer a surprise' and parries Marsch
Morocco eliminated Canada 3-0 in Houston and qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. Ouahbi states that the Atlas Lions are no longer a surprise and contradicts Marsch's statement that Canada was 'the better team'.
Morocco has qualified for the quarter-finals for the second World Cup in a row. In Houston, co-host Canada was defeated 3-0 in the eighth finals, after which national coach Mohamed Ouahbi was clear: his team is no longer a 'tournament surprise'.
Canada put pressure on Morocco for long periods, but the efficiency of the Atlas Lions was the deciding factor. Azzedine Ounahi opened the scoring with a planned variation from a free kick: a hard slide from the edge of the penalty area. After halftime, the same midfielder scored the 2-0 in the top right corner, after which Soufiane Rahimi coolly completed a counter in the final phase for 3-0.
A blemish for Morocco was the early retirement of Ismael Saibari. The striker seemed to suffer from hamstring problems and was replaced by Rahimi in the 22nd minute. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, on the other hand, only had to intervene once.
Afterwards, Canada national coach Jesse Marsch claimed that his team was 'the better' and that he would 'rather be Canada than Morocco'. Canada did indeed shoot more often (10 to 5) and had a tiny xG advantage (0.84 to 0.82), but Ouahbi thought the lecture was misplaced: “They were good, but it takes courage to say that when you lose 3-0.” According to the Moroccan selector, Canada lacked efficiency, while his team created chances through the center after the break. Canada also missed star player Alphonso Davies again.
With this victory, Morocco continues to write history: after the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago, it is the first African team ever to reach the last eight at two World Cups in a row. The four knockout matches that Morocco has survived in total are as many as all other African countries combined.
Title and favorite France awaits in the quarter-finals. According to the Opta supercomputer, Morocco has a 25.1% chance of surprising Les Bleus and a 3.9% chance of winning the entire tournament.
Standout Ounahi praised the group's mental toughness: "The team's response showed strength and character. We had to deal with a lot of problems, including off the field. Obstacles were thrown up, but we stayed focused. At half-time we fine-tuned a few things and, thank God, it worked."
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