Houston, Jul 5: Co-hosts Canada became the first host nation to be eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a ruthless Morocco produced a clinical second-half display to secure a 3-0 victory in Houston and book a place in the quarter-finals.

Canada came flying out of the blocks and had the better of the early exchanges but couldn't make their pressure tell. The North Africans found it tough to get a foothold in the match with Yassine Bounou in the Morocco goal denying both Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi in one-on-one situations within 11 minutes.

As the first half intensified, Seven yellows were shown by the officials, and the game came to boiling point in the 40th minute as captain Achraf Hakimi pushed Richie Laryea after both had been chasing down a long ball.

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The second half saw a much-changed Morocco side take to the pitch and they opened the scoring five minutes after the interval. From a free-kick Hakimi cut it back neatly to Azzedine Ounahi, who was given too much room on the edge of the box and passed it beyond goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau into the net to give the African outfit the lead.

Canada, as expected, were pushing for an equalizer but Morocco’s defence was solid. Despite a staggering 30 touches in the Moroccan box, Canada managed just three shots on target, and only one after the 11-minute mark.

Ounahi completed his brace to seal the win in the 82nd minute, as Morocco broke away from Canada with pace and he cooly slotted it home, Soufiane Rahimi then completed the rout in stoppage-time as he dribbled the ball under the Canadians’ goalkeeper after his looping header had earlier rattled the crossbar.

The defeat ends Canada’s best men’s World Cup journey which had already yielded a historic first World Cup point, win, progression to the knockouts and round of 16 victory. Captain Alphonso Davies still recovering from a hammy was not in attendance.

Morocco will play France in the quarterfinals.

(IANS)