A place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup is up for grabs as Canada battle Morocco in a round of 16 clash at the Houston Stadium.
The co-hosts are also enjoying a solid campaign, but the North Africans have looked slightly better so far and boast the extra quality to claim the upper hand in this one.
Key Stats
- Canada are winless in five of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Morocco have won two of their last three matches.
- Morocco have won the two previous matches against Canada.
Morocco on Top
Morocco have won the two previous matches against Canada. The Atlas Lions picked up a 4-0 victory in a friendly in 2016 before claiming a 2-1 triumph in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
Canada Making History
Canada progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup after claiming a 1-0 victory over South Africa in the round of 32. They laboured for much of the game before Stephen Eustaquio netted the winner late in the second half.
This has been a historical campaign for Canada, who are in the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. The victory over South Africa was also their first away from their home country, with Jesse Marsch's team showing they can do it on neutral ground.
While Les Rouges will be pleased with their progress so far, they have lost one game in the competition. The 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in their second group fixture suggests that Canada may find it difficult against some of the top sides in international football.
Morocco Repeating 2022
Morocco needed penalties before seeing off the Netherlands in the round of 32. They fought back from a goal down, with Issa Diop getting a late equaliser before Ismael Saibari scored the winner in the shootout.
The Atlas Lions appear to be steadily making their way through the tournament, just like in 2022 when they reached the semi-final. Mohamed Ouahbi 's team are unbeaten in the competition and have won two of their last three matches.
Morocco showed they can hold their own against the top teams in the competition, playing out a 1-1 draw with Brazil in their opening match. Also among their results in North America is a 4-2 victory over Haiti in their final group stage fixture.
Team News and Predicted Line-ups
Canada (4-4-2): Maxime Crepeau; Alistair Johnston, Luc De Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Alphonso Davies; Tajon Buchanan, Nathan Saliba, Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Millar; Jonathan David, Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi.
Canada are without Ismael Kone, who suffered a broken leg in their second group stage fixture. De Fougerolles was a second-half substitute last time out and could feature from the start while captain Alphonso Davies is also pushing for a start after coming off the bench in the last two matches.
Morocco (4-2-3-1): Yassine Bounou; Achraf Hakimi, Issa Diop, Chadi Riad, Noussair Mazraoui; Ayoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui; Brahim Diaz, Azzedine Ounahi, Chemsdine Talbi, Ismael Saibari.
Talbi impressed off the bench against the Netherlands and could earn a start in this one. Diop is expected to keep his place at the heart of the defence, while Saibari should continue to lead the line, having scored three goals in the tournament.