Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper, believes that the first goal scored by his teammate Azzedine Ounahi greatly contributed to the victory over the Canadian team and the qualification to the World Cup quarter-finals.
The Moroccan team qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup after defeating Canada with a three-goal win in the round of 16.
Bounou explained in statements published by the Moroccan newspaper Al-Mountakhab: "This victory came after a difficult match that required great focus and collective effort from all the players."
He added, "The first goal scored by Ounahi gave the team a big morale boost and contributed to increasing the players' confidence on the field."
Bounou also thanked the Moroccan fans, expressing his happiness at seeing the celebrations that spread across various parts of the West after the qualification.
He concluded, "We feel the weight of the responsibility on our shoulders and are determined to continue the journey and honor Moroccan football in the upcoming stages."
Morocco defeated Canada, one of the host countries of the tournament along with the USA and Mexico, to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the second consecutive time.
The Moroccan team will meet the French team in the quarter-finals, who defeated Paraguay with a goal.
Morocco became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals twice in a row.
Morocco's three goals were scored by Azzedine Ounahi with two goals, and a goal by Sofiane Rahimi in injury time.
