Omanghana
Morocco booked their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Haiti at Atlanta Stadium, finishing as runners-up in Group C behind Brazil. Despite the defeat, Haiti delivered a spirited performance and pushed the Atlas Lions throughout an unforgettable six-goal thriller before exiting the tournament with pride.
The match burst into life in the 10th minute when Haiti stunned the favored Moroccans. Forward Lenny Joseph met a low cross from Jean-Kévin Duverne with a composed finish, sending the large contingent of Haitian supporters into celebration and scoring the nation’s first FIFA World Cup goal since 1974.
Morocco responded with sustained pressure but were repeatedly frustrated by the heroics of Haitian captain and goalkeeper Johny Placide. However, the breakthrough finally came in the 39th minute after Placide produced a remarkable double save, only for Achraf Hakimi to scramble the loose ball over the line and restore parity.
The equalizer did little to dampen Haiti’s determination. Just four minutes later, Wilson Isidor produced one of the standout moments of the tournament, unleashing a stunning 31-yard strike that rocketed into the top corner to hand Haiti a 2-1 advantage.
The lead was short-lived, as Morocco found another response in first-half stoppage time. Ismael Saibari collected a cross from Hakimi and fired into the net after an intelligent dummy by Brahim Díaz, ensuring the teams went into the break level at 2-2.
With the contest finely balanced, Morocco eventually seized control in the 78th minute. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi expertly controlled a flicked-on corner before smashing his effort into the top corner to give the Atlas Lions their first lead of the evening.
The victory was secured in the 89th minute when fellow substitute Gessime Yassine tapped home from close range. The goal survived an extended VAR review that checked whether the ball had crossed the byline in the build-up, allowing Morocco to celebrate a decisive fourth goal.
The 4-2 triumph confirms Morocco’s progression to the Round of 32 as Group C runners-up, while Haiti’s impressive and fearless campaign comes to an end after earning admiration for their attacking display and resilience against one of Africa’s strongest sides.
Source: Omanghana
