Morocco rally past Haiti to secure R32 spot in World Cup 2026
By Joel Masibo, June 25, 2026Morocco overturned deficits on two occasions to register a 4-2 victory over Haiti in their final Group C fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday, June 25, 2026, booking a place in the knockout rounds as group runners-up.
The North Africans concluded the group stage with seven points, matching Brazil’s tally but settling for second place due to an inferior goal difference. Brazil topped the group after defeating Scotland 3-0 in their final match.
Morocco entered the encounter with four points from their opening two games, while Haiti had already been eliminated after suffering back-to-back defeats.
Despite having no chance of progression, Haiti began brightly and grabbed an early advantage in the 10th minute. Jean-Kevin Duverne surged down the flank and delivered a dangerous ball that resulted in Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou inadvertently turning it into his own net.
Morocco pushed for an equalizer and nearly found one midway through the first half, but Haitian goalkeeper Johny Placide produced a series of impressive stops to keep out attempts from Achraf Hakimi and Ayoub El Kaabi.
The Atlas Lions eventually drew level six minutes before halftime. Bilal El Khannouss sent in a cross that Placide failed to deal with effectively, allowing Hakimi to pounce and score from close range. The goal marked the Paris Saint-Germain defender’s first strike in World Cup competition after 13 appearances.
The match continued to deliver drama before the break. Haiti regained the lead in the 43rd minute when Wilson Isidor unleashed a thunderous effort from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner.
Morocco fight back
Morocco responded almost immediately. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Hakimi drove forward and provided the assist for Ismael Saibari, who finished first time to make it 2-2. The PSV midfielder’s third goal of the tournament saw him become the first Moroccan player to score in three consecutive World Cup matches.
After the interval, Morocco took control of proceedings and kept Haiti pinned back for long periods, limiting their opponents to very few meaningful attacking opportunities.
Their persistence paid off in the 78th minute. Chadi Riad flicked on a corner kick and Soufiane Rahimi reacted quickest to fire Morocco into the lead for the first time in the contest.
The victory was confirmed one minute from regulation time when Rahimi turned provider, squaring the ball for Gessime Yassine, who finished from close range with no defender around him.
Haiti nearly reduced the deficit late on, but Bounou redeemed his earlier mistake by producing a superb one-handed save to deny Duckens Nazon’s powerful free kick.
The defeat meant Haiti exited the tournament without a point after losing all three group matches. Scotland ended third in Group C and remained in contention for a place in the last 16 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.