Canada’s fairy-tale run at the World Cup rolls on, with the team set to face a stiff challenge from Morocco on Saturday in Houston, where a spot in the quarter-finals is on the line.
For a country better known for producing hockey legends than soccer stars, Canada’s run at just their third-ever World Cup appearance has already written itself into the nation’s sporting history books.
Star forward Alphonso Davies finally saw action in the tournament during the round-of-32 win over South Africa, entering as a substitute in the 75th minute. He could earn a starting spot against Morocco on Saturday.
Much of the pressure Canada carried into the tournament has melted away. Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, the team has already shattered multiple records — including earning their first-ever World Cup point and notching their first-ever World Cup victory.
That sense of playing with nothing to lose may be one of Canada’s biggest advantages heading into the match.
Coach Jesse Marsch didn’t sugarcoat the challenge ahead. “Preparing for Morocco is like a gory, horrible nightmare,” he said. “(But) we want to be here and we expect to be here. So we know that everybody’s going to write us off, and in that is an opportunity.”
Morocco, meanwhile, is unlikely to be moved by Canada’s underdog story.
While Canada has emerged as one of the tournament’s most feel-good stories, the Atlas Lions arrived in the United States with far bigger goals in mind. Four years ago in Qatar, they became the first African nation ever to reach a World Cup semi-final, knocking out powerhouses Spain and Portugal before finishing fourth overall.
Rather than resting on that historic achievement, Morocco has shown in this tournament that Qatar was no fluke. They drew with Brazil to finish atop their group and then eliminated the Netherlands in the round of 32.
Organized, athletic, and technically sharp, Morocco carries the confidence of a squad that believes another deep run is well within reach. Many of the key players from their 2022 semi-final run are still on the roster, giving them a significant experience edge over Canada.
Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbie made clear his team isn’t taking anything for granted. “If we get things wrong, we’ll go home,” he said. “We need to ensure that we have all the tools and we’re using the tools in our arsenal to go as far as we can.”
