Morocco came from behind to defeat Haiti 4-2 in a thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C encounter at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday, securing their place in the Round of 32 as runners up behind Brazil.
Haiti stunned Morocco with an early breakthrough in the 10th minute. Duverne surged down the right flank before exchanging passes and delivering a low cross into the box. Joseph attempted an inventive flick that ultimately deflected off goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and into the net for an own goal. The strike sparked wild celebrations among the Haitian supporters as their side took a surprise 1-0 lead.
Morocco responded quickly and almost found an immediate equaliser three minutes later. Achraf Hakimi tested Alexandre Placide with a powerful effort at the near post, while the resulting corner fell to Bilal El Khannouss Saibari, who blasted his shot over the crossbar.
The Atlas Lions continued to apply pressure. In the 24th minute, Saibari forced another save from Placide after Hakimi drove dangerously into the penalty area and created space for the midfielder. It marked Saibari’s third attempt of an increasingly influential first half.
Placide then produced a brilliant double save in the 31st minute to keep Haiti ahead. Hakimi drifted into a central attacking position, controlled the ball expertly, but failed to beat the goalkeeper with his left foot. The rebound dropped kindly for Ayoub El Kaabi, yet Placide reacted sharply and dived low to deny him as well.
Morocco finally found their equaliser in the 39th minute. A deflected cross caused chaos inside the Haiti penalty area, and Placide could only push the ball onto the goal line. Hakimi reacted fastest and bundled the ball home from close range to make it 1-1.
However, Haiti restored their advantage just four minutes later with one of the standout goals of the tournament. Isidor collected possession on the right edge of the box, shifted the ball onto his stronger foot and unleashed a stunning strike into the top left corner. The spectacular effort left Bounou helpless and put Haiti back in front at 2-1.
The lead lasted only moments. Deep into first half stoppage time, Morocco drew level again through Saibari. Hakimi raced into space behind the defence and delivered a precise low cross into the area. Saibari arrived at the perfect moment and guided a composed finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-2. The goal was his third of the 2026 World Cup, making him the first African player to score in all three group stage matches at a single World Cup tournament.
Morocco nearly completed the turnaround before the break. In the fifth minute of added time, Diaz found himself with a golden opportunity inside the box but miscued his first time effort and sent the ball harmlessly over the bar.
The North Africans continued to dominate after the restart. Saibari thought he had another chance in the 58th minute when he stretched to meet a cross inside the area, but the flag went up for offside before the move could count.
Two minutes later, Placide came to Haiti’s rescue again. As Morocco exploited growing spaces in the defence, El Khannouss struck from distance and forced the goalkeeper into another excellent save.
The pressure finally paid off in the 78th minute. Substitute Soufiane Rahimi completed the comeback after Riad flicked a header into his path. Rahimi took a touch before firing a fierce shot into the top corner, with a slight deflection off Ade helping the ball on its way. Morocco led for the first time in the match at 3-2.
The result was put beyond doubt in the 89th minute. Rahimi again played a decisive role, delivering a cross toward the back post where Yassine was waiting to tap into an empty net. The goal initially faced scrutiny over whether the ball had gone out of play, but after a VAR review, the referee confirmed the strike and Morocco’s players celebrated wildly as the score moved to 4-2.
Haiti almost produced one final moment of drama in stoppage time. Nazon won a free kick on the edge of the area and unleashed a powerful effort toward the top corner. Bounou, however, produced a superb diving save to preserve Morocco’s two goal advantage.
Morocco’s second half dominance ultimately proved decisive as they recovered from twice falling behind to claim a vital victory. The result confirms their place in the Round of 32, where they will look to build on an impressive group stage campaign after finishing second in Group C behind Brazil.
