Morocco concluded their Group C campaign with a win against Haiti in Atlanta. The match saw Morocco advance to the knockout rounds of the World Cup, following an eventful game where their attack became more prominent in the latter part of the first half and they maintained composure to extend their lead in the second.
Haiti, despite their elimination from the tournament, displayed moments of skill, with one particular goal by Isidor being highlighted as a potential contender for goal of the tournament. The team’s performance, especially considering they have not played a true home match since 2021 due to ongoing conflicts in their country, was seen as remarkable by observers.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
In the closing minutes of the game, Haiti nearly scored a third goal from a free kick by Nazon, which was saved by Bounou. Play was temporarily halted when Amrabat took a ball to the face. Earlier, in the 89th minute, Rahimi made an impressive play to keep the ball in-bounds, crossing it to Yassine who was positioned in front of an open net, contributing to one of Morocco‘s second-half goals, both of which came from substitutes.
A moment of amusement occurred during a replay of Rahimi‘s goal celebration, where he ran to the corner flag, slid, and then appeared to stop halfway through removing his jersey, possibly remembering it was a yellow-card offense. Morocco‘s patience in the second half paid off, as seen when substitute Soufiane Rahimi picked up the ball after a corner, settled it, and fired it into the top corner in the 78th minute. This goal may have taken a deflection, but it was still counted.
Haiti demonstrated sharp counterattacking moments but often ran into Morocco defenders in the second half. A free kick for Morocco from 26 yards out, taken by Hakimi, hit the wall, and his follow-up attempt also met the same fate. A hydration break occurred in the 68th minute, during which fans from both teams were seen singing along to “Country Roads.”
During the tournament, only two players have scored in all three of their team’s group-stage matches: Morocco’s Ismael Saibari and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior. Haiti made their first changes in the 67th minute, with Isidor and Providence being replaced by Deedson and Nazon, the latter being the country’s leading goalscorer who had been recovering from a hamstring injury.
Morocco nearly scored a third goal, but an offside flag was raised. Saibari had made a good run into the box, but his sliding shot went wide. Morocco‘s coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, seemed to have emphasized patience at halftime, as the team utilized short-corner plays multiple times.
Group C Implications and Future Matchups
Morocco entered the match aiming for victory and goals against an already-eliminated Haiti to secure the top spot in their World Cup group ahead of Brazil. Morocco had accumulated four points from their initial two Group C games, making an impression by putting Brazil on the back foot in their drawn first match. They then defeated Scotland in Boston.
Brazil was scheduled to play Scotland simultaneously in Miami. If both Brazil and Morocco won their final group games, the top position in Group C would be determined by goal difference. Neymar was expected to potentially make his first appearance in this year’s World Cup against Scotland, having participated in his first tactical and team training under coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Haiti was the first team to be eliminated from the tournament after losses to Scotland and then Brazil. Despite their early exit, Haiti‘s coach, Sébastien Migné, stated there would be no decrease in the team’s intensity. The winner of Group C will face the runners-up from Group F, while the second-place team in Group C will play against the top team in Group F, which includes Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden.
The first half in Atlanta was described as entertaining, with Haiti being the better team for much of the initial 45 minutes. However, Morocco gained momentum towards the end of the first half and into stoppage time, with the majority of their 15 shots occurring during that period. Achraf Hakimi scored Morocco‘s equalizer after Placide knocked a cross onto the goalline, and Hakimi tapped it over the line amidst congestion.
Haiti‘s lead did not last long, as Saibari benefited from a dummy move by Diaz to find open space and fire a right-footed shot for his third goal of the World Cup. This followed Wilson Isidor‘s stunning strike from 31 yards out into the top left corner of the net in the 43rd minute, a goal that came after Haiti won the ball back.
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Source: bbc.com
