Morocco edged Canada 2-1 to reach the last 16 as Group F winners.
- Morocco edged Canada
- Mathew Leckie got the only goal following a fine counter-attack
- Australia will next play Argentina, Poland or Saudi Arabia
Canada 1-2 Morocco
Goals: Ziyech (4), El Nesyri (23), Aguerd (40)
Morocco survived a courageous Canada comeback to win 2-1 and advance to the knockout phase as Group F winners. Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En Nesyri had the Atlas Lions 2-0 up inside 25 minutes, but an Nayef Aguerd own-goal swung momentum in the Canucks’ favour.
Atiba Hutchinson hit the bar in the second half, with the ball bouncing down on the line and back out, and Morocco held on for the three points.
Morocco will now face the runners-up in Group E, which contains Costa Rica, Germany, Japan and Spain, in the last 16. Canada will go home having lost all three matches, but having given their opponents trouble in each of them.
Key moment
A Steven Vitoria back-pass put Milan Borjan under pressure. Rather than punting the ball to safety, the goalkeeper cleared it straight into the path of Hakim Ziyech, who lobbed it up and over Borjan and into an unguarded net.
The stat
Ziyech’s fourth-minute goal was Morocco’s fastest ever in the World Cup. It broke the 18-minute national record Khalid Boutaib set against Spain at Russia 2018.
Player of the Match
Achraf Hakimi.