Morocco through to last eight with Unai’s brace, Canada eliminated

Morocco defeated Canada 3-0 in the first match of the last 16 of the World Cup and advanced to the quarter-finals. Azzedine Unai scored a brace for the team. The two teams faced each other at Houston’s NRG Stadium at 11 pm Bangladesh time on Saturday (July 4).
The hosts put Morocco under pressure from the start of the match. In the 10th minute of the match, goalkeeper Yacine Bounou made a remarkable save with his left foot. Canada also tried several times. However, both teams failed to score. The first half ended in a goalless draw.
After the break, Morocco increased their attack. It did not take them long to get the result. In the fifth minute of the second half, Achraf Hakimi passed the ball to Azzedine Unai, who was near the box, instead of taking a direct shot from a free kick. Then Unai put the ball into the net with a great shot.
After conceding a goal, Canada was desperate to equalize. However, the result was the opposite. The African representatives went on the attack in the 82nd minute, taking possession of the ball. A great through pass reached Brahim Diaz. He stepped up and passed the ball to Azzedine Unai. The Girona midfielder made no mistake and scored his and his team’s second goal of the match with a powerful shot at the near post.
Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi increased the lead further in extra time. He scored the goal with a brilliant finish.
Canada tried to attack for the rest of the match, but it was unsuccessful. The co-hosts failed to break through the opponent’s defense and score a goal. Finally, Morocco left the field with a 3-0 win and secured their ticket to the last eight. Morocco will face the winner of the last 16 match between France and Paraguay next Friday (July 10) at 10 pm Bangladesh time.