Morocco survived a huge upset by Haiti before securing a 4-2 victory on Wednesday, coming from behind twice to book their place in FIFA World Cup round 32Substitutes Soufiana Rahimi and Gessima Yassine played key roles late in the game, scoring the decisive goals as Morocco ended Haiti’s hopes of picking up their first point of the tournament.
Haiti makes history with an early breakthrough
Playing in their second World Cup and first since 1974, Haiti surprised the African champions in the 10th minute. Lenny Joseph met the delivery at the near post and cleverly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.The goal was historic, making Joseph Haiti the first World Cup goalscorer since Emmanuel Sanon netted more than five decades ago.
Hakimi counters, but Haiti attacks again
Morocco dominated possession after falling behind and eventually equalized six minutes before half-time. Achraf Hakimi capitalized after Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide failed to fully deal with Bilal El Khannous’ deflected cross.The tie did not last long. Just four minutes later, Wilson Isidor restored Haiti’s lead with a spectacular long-range shot that deflected into the top corner, leaving Bounou with no chance.
Saibari equalizes before the break
There was one more twist left in the first half. Deep into stoppage time, Ismael Saibari finished off Hakimi’s cross to make it 2-2 at halftime.It was Saibari’s third goal of the tournament and ensured Morocco stayed level despite a difficult first 45 minutes.
Substitutions in the second half sealed the win
Morocco increased the pressure after the break and finally took control in the closing stages. Rahimi, introduced from the bench, gave his side the lead in the 78th minute when his shot deflected on its way to the net.As Haiti pushed forward in search of another equalizer, Yassine wrapped up the contest with an 89th-minute goal to complete the comeback and secure Morocco’s passage to the knockout rounds.
Morocco passes, Haiti withdraws
The win saw Morocco finish second in Group C behind Brazil, who defeated Scotland 3-0 in the other group game. Morocco will now face the runners-up from Group F – the Netherlands, Japan or Sweden – in Guadalajara.Despite the loss, Haiti deserved plaudits for pushing one of the tournament’s contenders to the limit and coming close to producing one of the competition’s biggest upsets.After the game, midfielder Bilal El Khannouss admitted that Morocco were not at their best in the beginning.“At times we lacked humility and we paid the price for it. We were not fully committed in the duels, we gave them confidence and allowed them to grow into the game and score twice. At halftime, the coach told us that we must be more aggressive, win other balls and bring more intensity to our attacking game.”
