HOUSTON — Canada’s first World Cup trip to the round of 16 ended with a 3-0 loss to Morocco, closing a run that pushed the Canadian national team into a brighter place in the international soccer picture.
Azzedine Ounahi scored twice for Morocco, which became the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarterfinals more than once. Soufiane Rahimi added the final goal in stoppage time.
Canada had reached this stage by beating South Africa 1-0 for its first knockout-round win at the tournament. The run came in the country’s third World Cup appearance and with Canada ranked 30th by FIFA.
The match was scoreless at halftime after Canada held more of the ball in the first half. Morocco broke through in the 50th minute when Ounahi took a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and drove a right-footed shot through traffic from outside the box into the bottom right corner.
Ounahi made it 2-0 in the 82nd minute, finishing from the middle of the box after a pass from Brahim Díaz. Rahimi then scored in the final minute of stoppage time to complete the Morocco win.
Jesse Marsch told his players he was proud of the performance and challenged them to keep that level for 90 minutes against elite opponents. He also noted the higher expectations around the program after Canada moved into territory that would have seemed out of reach 10 years ago.
Defender Alistair Johnston said Canada showed it could be viewed as a footballing country. Midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, who scored the winner against South Africa, said being among the last 16 teams was important for both the group and the country.
Canada’s run came with Alphonso Davies limited by a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich player logged 15 minutes as a substitute against South Africa but was not available for the loss to Morocco.
Marsch pointed to the need for more infrastructure and youth academies in Canada, but his immediate focus was on what the team had already done. He said the group stayed strong through injuries and uncertainty and made both the country and the program proud.