Morocco secured their spot in the World Cup knockout stage after a thrilling 4-2 victory over a determined Haiti on Wednesday. The match showcased Morocco’s resilience as they had to come from behind twice, but despite their efforts, they could not claim the top position in Group C.
With seven points, Morocco finished in second place behind Brazil, who defeated Scotland 3-0. As a result, Morocco will face the winners of Group F—either Japan, the Netherlands, or Sweden—in the first knockout round on Monday.
Coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged the challenge posed by Haiti, stating, “We were looking for first spot in the group, but Haiti had nothing to lose and played a good transition game, so it was not an easy game for us,” He further emphasized, “Morocco has entered a whole new dimension, and we’re part of a new momentum where we actually need to believe we can take the title. “How do we reach this objective? We need to be 100% committed. Today, we have the best ingredients that are needed to become the best nation, and we believe we can do it; the players believe in it, the same for the staff.”
Ouahbi expressed confidence in his team’s capabilities, saying, “We showed that we didn’t steal our spot here,”
Haiti, the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, took an early lead but saw it equalized by Achraf Hakimi, the African footballer of the year, in the 39th minute. Wilson Isidor then fired Haiti ahead again in the 43rd minute, only for Ismael Saibari to level the score once more shortly after.
Morocco finally took the lead in the 78th minute after substitute Soufiane Rahimi scored from close range following a corner, and 20-year-old Gessime Yassine sealed the victory in the final minute.
Despite their elimination, Haiti’s performance was commendable, and manager Sebastien Migne reflected on their journey, stating, “We deserve to be here. “I hope that what we gave the fans was good enough for them. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a point, we would have loved to give at least a point to our fans.”
Haiti’s opening goal came in the 10th minute, when Josué Casimir shielded the ball before Jean-Kévin Duverne assisted him. Lenny Joseph executed a clever backheel that initially deflected off Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, prompting the goal to be awarded as an own goal later.
Haiti’s 38-year-old goalkeeper Johny Placide, who played his final international match after 15 years, made several crucial saves, preventing goals from Ayoub El Kaabi and Hakimi. However, after he parried a cross from Bilal El Khannouss, Hakimi managed to score the equalizer.
Following Isidor’s powerful goal, Morocco responded quickly, as Sofyan Amrabat assisted Hakimi, who then set up Saibari for the equalizer. Morocco eventually took the lead from a set piece, with Rahimi scoring amidst controversy over a potential foul, and Yassine’s tap-in confirmed by VAR.
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