ANALYSIS – Canada had more shots on goal and more shots in general. However, Morocco was the more clinical team, which showed throughout the game. Azzedine Ounahi was a big reason Morocco won, as his two goals helped the team settle down and control the tempo of the game at Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium) in Houston, Texas.
Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi Is a Key Player in the Win Over the CANMNT
Morocco Took Advantage of Their Scoring Chances
Morocco really only had four to five chances to score in this game. They took advantage of three of them.
The shot seen above was really Morocco’s first real chance in the game. Achraf Hakimi passed the ball to Azzedine Ounahi, who put the ball straight into the back of the net. It was a great set-piece, and it was an even better shot by Ounahi. The CANMNT goalkeeper, Maxime Crépeau, did not have much of a chance of stopping that shot.
As Canada tried to go for the equalizer, it left their backline more vulnerable. Morocco punished them. Chemsdine Talbi was the one who set up the second goal, and Brahim Díaz was credited with the assist, as Ounahi put the ball into the back of the net.
Brahim Díaz then delivered a great pass to Soufiane Rahimi to make the game 3-0. However, by that time the damage had been done, as Ounahi’s two goals basically secured Morocco the victory.
The CANMNT Did Not Take Advantage of Their Scoring Chances
While Morocco took advantage of their scoring opportunities, Canada could not. Some examples include:
- Luc de Fougerolles made a great play to get the ball to Jonathan David, but he waited too long to shoot the ball, and it was stopped easily.
- Tani Oluwaseyi’s shot from close range went straight to the Morocco goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou.
- De Fougerolles’ header was off-target from a dangerous position.
Lastly, Oluwaseyi got a great pass from Ali Ahmed but was unable to convert on the chance. Ahmed was the reason why Canada was able to generate some of their scoring chances, as he was fantastic.
Ali Ahmed Really Played Well
Ali Ahmed really showed up for the CANMNT. His ability to read Morocco’s passes and to intercept them time and time again is something worth noting. Some examples include:
- Ahmed was able to get the ball for his team time and time again, in Morocco’s field of play at least two to three times. One example included a great pass delivered to Oluwaseyi, that almost led to a goal.
- Ahmed made a great defensive play to prevent Achraf Hakimi from scoring a goal.
Ahmed has a bright future for the national team, and he will be a player to watch as time goes on.
Other Factors: Niko Sigur Played Well
Niko Sigur, from Burnaby, British Columbia, stepped up for the national team against Morocco in his first-ever FIFA World Cup (Men’s) start. This is what CANMNT head coach Jesse Marsch said about Sigur, according to Brandon Que for the Canadian Soccer Daily website:
“I thought (Sigur) was outstanding, outstanding, maybe our best player on the day,” Marsch said. “The ground he covered, the solutions he had on the ball, the amount of ball-winning he had in the midfield, his ease at seeing plays and making plays, the ground he covered, duels he won, I thought he was outstanding.”
In that first half, all of the midfielders were playing well, forcing Morocco to give up the ball on their end of the field. Sigur, like Ahmed, played a big role in that, and it will be interesting how Sigur progresses from here.
Moroccan Ayyoub Bouaddi, who exchanged jerseys with Jonathan David after the game, said this about the game against Canada from the TSN interview done by Claire Hanna on July 4, 2026:
These half-time adjustments helped Morocco win the game. This is what Moroccan head coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on the win over Canada. This included talking about the difficult moments in the first half for the team, according to Chaimae Bouaichi of Morocco World News:
“As I always tell the players, we are playing in the World Cup, so we will go through difficult moments. It is not normal to play every match comfortably.” Ouahbi praised his team’s mentality when the game became challenging. “When we are not at our best, we must stay united. In those moments, we remember who we are playing for, and that is exactly what the players showed during the match.”
Best wishes must be given to Ismael Saibari, who suffered a right hamstring injury early in the game against Canada, according to Seth Vertelney of the USA Today Network.
READ MORE: CANMNT Head Coach Jesse Marsch: His Journey as a Pro Player
Overview of the FIFA World Cup (Men’s) for Canada
CANMNT’s head coach, Jesse Marsch, was happy with Canada’s performance, as he said this, according to the Sky Sports Football Facebook Page:
There is a lot of truth with this statement. Canada was the better team against Morocco in the first half. The only thing missing though were the goals. This is something they need to work on. The team need a player that can score multiple goals. Jonathan David normally takes that role, but he is not having a great season with Juventus and club wise, David is probably at the lowest point of his playing career within the last four years.
Injuries was another concern. For a team consistently growing and trying to make a name for themselves in the big stage, having a lot of the players healthy is very important. They are not a team with tradition like England and France who have huge history of professional soccer over the years.
READ MORE: CANMNT Makes History as Jonathan David Scores A Hat-Trick
It is not just Alphonso Davies; the team was also missing Moïse Bombito for all the group stage games. Marcelo Flores got injured before the tournament even began, and obviously Ismaël Koné got that scary injury against Qatar. In addition, Derek Cornelius was injured and could not play against Morocco in the Round of 16 matchup.
These are just a few of the examples. However, the question remains: where to go from here, and there are a few areas to note.
READ MORE: Jesse Marsch: How His Coaching Path Led to the CANMNT Job
What Canada Needs To Do
READ MORE: Late Stephen Eustáquio Goal Sends Canada to the Round of 16
For Canada, qualifying for every FIFA World Cup (Men’s) is the minimum expectation. This is especially true with the 2030 FIFA World Cup (Men’s), where 64 teams will take part in the competition instead of 48.
In terms of what needs to be done, by 2030, Canada should aim to win at least one Concacaf Nations League and/or a Concacaf Gold Cup title. The last time Canada won a continental title was back in the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup. It has been a long time and long overdue.
As for Morocco, they will face France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Men’s) quarterfinal. This will be a rematch of the 2022 FIFA World Cup (Men’s) semi-final matchup, which will take place on July 9 at 4:00 pm ET at Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) in Foxborough, Massachusetts. That game will be televised on TSN/RDS/CTV in Canada.
Photo Credit: CANMNT Official X Account on July 4, 2026.
