Morocco Fight Back to Defeat Haiti in World Cup Thriller

Morocco produced a stunning second-half comeback to defeat a resilient Haiti 4-2 in their final Group C fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026, sealing second place in the standings and a place in the Round of 32.

Haiti, playing with freedom and confidence, stunned the Atlas Lions inside the opening ten minutes. Jean-Kevin Duverne delivered a low cross into the box, where Lenny Joseph brilliantly flicked the ball with a backheel. The effort deflected off Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bono and into the net, giving Haiti their first FIFA World Cup goal in 52 years.

Morocco responded with sustained pressure and finally found an equaliser through Achraf Hakimi. After Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide parried Bilal El Khannouss' effort, Hakimi reacted quickest to bundle the rebound over the line.

The Caribbean side restored their advantage moments later when Isidor unleashed a spectacular long-range strike that flew into the net, producing one of the standout goals of the tournament.

However, Morocco refused to back down. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Hakimi turned provider, cutting the ball back for Ismael Saibari, who calmly slotted home to make it 2-2 at the break.

The Atlas Lions dominated after the restart and completed the comeback in the 79th minute. Soufiane Rahimi fired home from close range after a corner kick created chaos inside the Haiti penalty area.
Young substitute Gessime Yassine put the result beyond doubt in the closing moments, finishing confidently to wrap up a dramatic 4-2 victory.

The win sees Morocco finish second in Group C and advance to the Round of 32, where they will face the winners of Group F in Monterrey on 29 June. Despite the defeat, Haiti earned widespread praise for an impressive first FIFA World Cup appearance in more than five decades.

The fans have spoken – Achraf Hakimi is your Superior Player of the Match! #FIFAWorldCup #SuperiorPOTM pic.twitter.com/NbLVvCiFlS

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 25, 2026

Player of the Match:Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

Speaking after the match, Hakimi said,
"It was a tricky game, a difficult one. We didn't start well, but we changed our mindset and worked hard to get ourselves back into it. We managed to win thanks to the way we attacked. At half-time, the message was to stay focused on winning the second balls. We couldn't let them grow in confidence. We're proud of what we did, but now we need to recover well and get ourselves ready for what's next."