HOUSTON: The end result was as expected, but for 45 minutes the performance was not. After a quintessential game of two halves, Morocco became the first African team in history to twice reach the World Cup quarterfinals, yet it was not the easy game against Canada that many fans anticipated. When the final whistle went, two-goal hero Azzedine Ounahi said he “felt like crying” after helping to give his country the celebrations its people were expecting. Heading into Houston Stadium, the Moroccan fans were confident their place in the last-eight was all but assured.

HOUSTON: Morocco produced a patient and professional performance to sweep past World Cup co-hosts Canada 3-0 in their round-of-16 clash on Saturday. A second-half brace from…

Morocco beat Canada 3-0 in Houston on Saturday to become the first team at the World Cup to progress to the quarterfinals.