Channelhub
Latest
NewsBellingham Does It Again — Two Goals, an Extra-Time Rescue and England Storm Into the Last Four NewsChampions Refuse to Fall — Argentina Grind Down Switzerland in Extra Time to Set Up a Semi With England NewsA Nation in Mourning — Football Says Goodbye to Jayden Adams, Gone at 25 NewsFinal Reckoning: What's at Stake in the Groups G, H and I Finales NewsPépé's Redemption: A Double Sends Côte d'Ivoire Into Uncharted Territory NewsLast-Kick Heartbreak: Türkiye Stun the USA in a Five-Goal Thriller NewsPlata Stuns the Machine: Ecuador's Fearless Fightback Floors Germany News18 and Fearless: Alajbegović's Wondergoal Lights Up Bosnia's Last-32 Push
← News News

Hakimi Leads the Charge as Morocco Survive a Haiti Scare

Jun 26, 2026

ATLANTA — Morocco came to Atlanta expecting a procession and got a prizefight. Twice pegged back by an already-eliminated Haiti side playing with freedom and flair, the 2022 semi-finalists needed two late goals to subdue the most spirited of opponents. Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine came off the bench to help Morocco rally for a 4-2 victory, erasing the Caribbean nation's hopes of a first-ever World Cup point and sealing the Atlas Lions' place in the round of 32.

Through the chaos, it was captain Achraf Hakimi who steadied his side, scoring the first equalizer and driving Morocco forward whenever the game threatened to slip away.

A breathless first half

Haiti, with nothing to lose, were fearless from the outset. Lenny Joseph finished a wonderful team move inside 10 minutes to put Haiti ahead, the goal later recorded as a Yassine Bounou own goal. Morocco's response came through their talisman. It took almost half an hour for them to level, as Hakimi bundled home after a weak Johny Placide save — only for Haiti to strike back in stunning fashion. Wilson Isidor's effort, arguably the goal of the tournament so far, flew into the top-left corner from outside the box to restore Haiti's lead.

The lead lasted barely two minutes. Ismael Saibari equalized with a clever finish for his third goal in three games, sending the sides in level at the break.

The late surge

The second half belonged entirely to Morocco, even if the breakthrough was slow to arrive. It took until the 78th minute for them to lead for the first time, when Rahimi controlled the ball from a corner and fired past Placide with the help of a deflection. The substitute then turned provider. In the dying minutes, Rahimi did brilliantly to keep the ball in play before unselfishly teeing up Yassine to secure the three points.

The numbers confirmed Morocco's superiority despite the scare. They accumulated 3.26 expected goals to Haiti's 0.66, and certainly deserved the win. Hakimi, characteristically, looked straight ahead. "We're proud of what we did, but now we need to recover well and get ourselves ready for what's next," the captain said.

Pride for Haiti, a date in Monterrey for Morocco

Haiti exit the tournament, but with their heads high after a landmark campaign. It was the end of their World Cup, capping an exciting first appearance in over 50 years — and they scored two goals for the first time at a World Cup, becoming the 45th nation to find the net at the 2026 finals. Their coach, Sébastien Migné, framed it perfectly. “We came very close to making history. Even if we didn't win, we wanted to leave with our heads held high — and that's exactly what we've done.”

For Morocco, the reward is a knockout tie befitting their ambitions. Having finished second in Group C, the Atlas Lions will take on the winner of Group F in Monterrey on 29 June. They were made to work harder than anyone anticipated. But with Hakimi marshalling them and a bench deep enough to change a game, Morocco are through — and still dreaming of matching, or bettering, their historic run of four years ago.