A late Moroccan surge turned a Haiti scare into a 4-2 World Cup win in Atlanta, sealing second place in Group C and an unbeaten route into the next round.
Haiti shocks Morocco before Hakimi responds
Haiti, already heading out of the tournament, played as if freed by the occasion. In the 10th minute, Jean-Kevin Duverne cut the ball back, Lenny Joseph flicked it goalward, and it ricocheted in off Yassine Bounou for Haiti's first World Cup goal in 52 years.
Morocco's response was not immediate on the scoreboard, but the pressure kept rising. Johny Placide saved several chances before Achraf Hakimi forced the ball over the line in the 39th minute after Placide had parried a Bilal El Khannouss shot.
Isidor rocks Morocco as Saibari restores control
The shock deepened in the 43rd minute when W. Isidor lashed a long-range strike into the top-left corner to put Haiti ahead again. That lead lasted only until the 45th minute, when Hakimi cut the ball back for I. Saibari to sidefoot in the equaliser and send a chaotic half in level at 2-2.
The numbers captured the strange tension of the night: Morocco had 70% possession, 22 shots, 11 on target and 9 corners, while Haiti had no corners and only one shot on target. Yet Les Grenadiers had twice led, turning Moroccan dominance into a test of nerve.
Morocco finishes with flourish as Haiti exits proud
After the break, Morocco gradually squeezed the match back toward Haiti's goal. In the 78th minute, S. Rahimi fired in a deflected effort from a corner, before Gessime Yassine made it 4-2 in the 89th after Rahimi kept the ball alive and teed him up.
Bilal El Khannouss later said Morocco had lacked humility at times and needed more aggression in duels, while Achraf Hakimi called it a tricky game that demanded focus on second balls. The win leaves Morocco second on 7 points, behind Brazil on goal difference, while Haiti finish fourth with 0 points from three defeats and eight goals conceded.
Morocco will face the winner of Group F in Monterrey on 29 June, with the Netherlands currently leading that group.
Match Information
Competition: World Cup, Group Stage - 3. Date & Time: Thursday 25 June 2026, 00:00 CET. Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. Referee: Danny Makkelie, Netherlands.
