Canada face Morocco in World Cup last 16 as Marsch calls opponents 'zero weaknesses'

Pre-match mind games

Canada coach Jesse Marsch did not hold back in his assessment of Morocco ahead of Saturday's round-of-16 meeting in Houston. "This is a team that has literally zero weaknesses," he told reporters on Friday, describing his video preparation as "a gory, horrible nightmare." Marsch acknowledged that Canada, appearing in the knockout stage for the first time, are clear underdogs against a side ranked sixth in the world by FIFA. He said his players must focus on their own strengths and see if they can hold up against an opponent of this calibre.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who took charge in March, was more measured but equally aware of the stakes. "It is about not being tentative in our approach, and if we are not good enough, we are going home, regardless of who we are playing," he said. Ouahbi backed playmaker Brahim Diaz to spark "organised chaos" through his mobility, despite the Real Madrid forward having yet to score at this tournament. Diaz has two assists and remains central to Morocco's high-tempo game plan.

Key personnel and injuries

Canada's captain Alphonso Davies is available after a 15-minute substitute appearance in the round-of-32 win over South Africa, his first action since a hamstring injury in early May. Marsch said the staff are weighing whether to start the Bayern Munich left-back or use him off the bench again. Morocco's attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari, who scored in all three group-stage matches, has just secured a move to Bayern Munich from PSV Eindhoven and will be a primary threat.

Canada will be without midfielder Ismael Kone, who broke his leg in the group stage against Qatar. Kone underwent emergency surgery but has stayed with the squad on crutches. In a letter to The Players' Tribune, he wrote: "I just felt like I was letting the whole country down." He said the outpouring of support from Canadian fans has shocked him.

The Montreal-born keeper

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was born in Montreal, where his father was a university physics professor, before the family returned to Casablanca when he was three. Canada's then-coach Benito Floro asked him to play for the national team in 2013, but Bounou had already debuted for Morocco. "It was always my dream to play for them," he said. The 35-year-old was the penalty-shootout hero against the Netherlands in the previous round and kept three clean sheets during Morocco's historic run to the 2022 semi-finals. He conceded only an own goal in the 2-1 group-stage win over Canada four years ago.

Benito Floro asked me to come play for him. But I'd grown up in Morocco, played for their underage teams, and even some senior games. It was always my dream to play for them.

What history says

The teams met in the final group match of the 2022 World Cup, with Morocco winning 2-1. Marsch dismissed any revenge narrative: "There's not a ton of motivation for anyone in our camp to say that we lost last World Cup to Morocco and now we need to right that wrong." Morocco went on to beat Spain and Portugal to become the first African semi-finalists. Canada, meanwhile, have already secured their first World Cup point and first win at this tournament, beating South Africa 1-0 on a stoppage-time goal by Stephen Eustaquio.

Morocco's squad blends experience and emerging talent, from captain Achraf Hakimi to Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi. Ouahbi said the players draw energy from millions of supporters back home, even when matches kick off at 2 a.m. local time. Canada, co-hosts playing on U.S. soil, hope to ride the underdog freedom that produced strong performances against Colombia, Ukraine and Romania in 2025.