Morocco Fight Back to Beat Haiti 4-2 and Secure Knockout Spot

Morocco booked their place in the next round of the FIFA World Cup with an entertaining 4-2 victory over Haiti in a thrilling Group C encounter at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday.

After a dramatic first half ended 2-2, the Atlas Lions took control after the break, scoring twice more to eliminate Haiti and secure progression to the knockout stage.

Haiti's two first-half goals came through an own goal and a strike from Wilson Isidore, while Morocco's goals were scored by Achraf Hakimi, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Soufiane Rahimi and Yassine.

Haiti stunned the African side by taking the lead in the 10th minute. A costly mistake by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou gifted the Caribbean nation an early breakthrough. The goal was historic for Haiti, marking the country's first-ever World Cup goal and the 150th goal of the tournament.

Morocco responded in the 39th minute through Hakimi. El Khannouss tested goalkeeper Johny Placide with a powerful effort, and although the Haitian keeper made the save, the rebound fell kindly for Hakimi, who reacted quickest to fire home from close range and level the score.

The celebrations were short-lived, however, as Haiti regained the lead just four minutes later. Wilson Isidore produced a stunning long-range strike that flew into the top-left corner, punishing Morocco for failing to clear their lines and restoring Haiti's advantage at 2-1.

Yet Haiti were unable to hold their lead until halftime. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Morocco found another equaliser. Hakimi's low cross was cleverly left by Diaz, allowing Sabiri to arrive in the centre of the box and guide a first-time finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-2.

The match remained finely balanced throughout the second half before Morocco finally pulled ahead in the 78th minute. Following a corner kick, the ball broke kindly for Soufiane Rahimi, who created space with a clever touch before curling a superb effort into the top corner to put the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists in front for the first time.

Morocco sealed the victory in the 89th minute. Rahimi kept the ball in play near the left touchline and delivered a pass across goal for Yassine, who calmly slotted into an empty net. Haiti protested, claiming the ball had gone out of play during the build-up, but a VAR review confirmed the goal's validity.

The win ensured Morocco advanced to the knockout stage, while Haiti's World Cup campaign came to an end despite a spirited display that included a historic first goal on football's biggest stage. Morocco will now look to carry their momentum into the next round as they continue their pursuit of another memorable World Cup run.

MMR