Morocco produced a late surge in Atlanta to defeat Haiti 4-2 in a dramatic Group C encounter, denying the Caribbean side a historic first World Cup point.
Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine struck in the closing stages to seal victory after Haiti had twice fought back in an energetic display.
Morocco opened scoring through Achraf Hakimi in the 39th minute after Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide failed to deal with a Brahim Diaz effort. Ismael Saibari then restored Morocco’s advantage before half time following a swift attacking move.
Haiti, however, stunned Morocco twice in a spirited first half performance. Lenny Joseph’s effort deflected off Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou for an early opener, before Wilson Isidor produced a superb long range strike into the top corner to restore parity.
The North African side continued to press after the break, with Placide making several key saves to keep Haiti in the contest.
Rahimi eventually broke the resistance with 12 minutes remaining when his effort deflected off a defender to make it 3-2, before Yassine confirmed the result late on after a VAR check confirmed he had kept the ball in play.
Despite the defeat, Haiti exited the competition with pride after a spirited performance that doubled their goal tally in World Cup history. Morocco now advance from Group C and await their last 32 opponent.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
