Nail Al-Ainawi, the Moroccan national team player, confirmed that the "Atlas Lions" deserved to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Canada.
The Moroccan team swept aside their Canadian counterparts with a clean three-goal victory in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, securing the first ticket to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Al-Ainawi's statements
Al-Ainawi said in statements to FIFA's official website: "It's unbelievable. We knew we were going to have a big match against Canada, who would give everything they had, and that’s exactly what happened; they caused us a lot of problems with their pressure in the first half."
He added: "The strength of this team over the past years lies in the fact that we never give up, and today that worked in our favor."
The Moroccan player spoke about the coaching staff's discussions during halftime, saying: "We tried to keep our calm. Canada started the match well, and we were not at our best, but the coach remained calm and we analyzed what happened in the first half to come back better."
He continued: "We started the second half well and managed to maintain our strength until the end."
Regarding Morocco's potential opponent in the next round, Al-Ainawi concluded: "Whether we face France or Paraguay, we saw in the group stage that there are no easy matches. We will watch the game and know who we will face in the quarter-finals."
