Morocco needed a chaotic game to get there, but the standout numbers were easy enough to spot. Achraf Hakimi finished with a goal and an assist, Ismael Saibari scored for the third straight World Cup game, and a late surge carried Morocco past Haiti 4-2 in Morocco vs Haiti. The result left Morocco second in Group C on four points with a goal difference of +1.

Sky Sports summed it up neatly in its match report: "Two late goals earned Morocco a hard-fought 4-2 win against Haiti in their final Group C game, which saw them finish as runners-up."

Hakimi and Saibari set the tone

The game kept lurching, but Hakimi and Saibari were the clearest reasons Morocco came through it.

Hakimi scored in the 39th minute after Bilal El Khannouss's shot came back off the post, and he did far more than just take one chance. He posted 3 shots on target and 8 key passes, the kind of output that explains his 7.6 rating without needing to overstate it. For a full-back, that is a huge share of a team's attacking work.

Saibari then levelled in first-half stoppage time, with the equaliser recorded at 45+1. It was not a one-off contribution either. Sports Mole's match report said: "Achraf Hakimi scored and assisted to lead the Atlas Lions' victory, while Bayern Munich-linked Ismael Saibari found the net for the third successive World Cup game."

That scoring run is the sharpest takeaway from Saibari's tournament so far. He has 3 goals in the competition and has scored in every group game he has played. In a match that easily could have turned into a nervous exit, Morocco had two players producing with real consistency.

Haiti's resistance and Morocco's late edge

Haiti made this much harder than Morocco would have wanted. They led twice in Atlanta, and even the first goal carries a small argument over the final credit. Some reporting described it as Lenny Joseph's overhead kick that deflected in off S. Bounou, while other coverage said it was later recorded as a Bounou own goal. The match event feed lists the 10th-minute opener as an own goal.

Wilson Isidor then added Haiti's other standout moment with a stunning strike, and Morocco were chasing the game again. Haiti's goalkeeper Johny Placide also gave them a chance to stay in it, making 8 saves despite the late collapse.

Still, Morocco had more attacking quality once the game opened up. Soufiane Rahimi made the decisive contribution from the bench, putting Morocco ahead for the first time in the 78th minute from a flicked-on corner. He ended the night with a goal, an assist and an 8.2 rating in just 25 minutes, which is about as direct an impact as a substitute can make.

Gessime Yassine then scored Morocco's fourth in the 89th minute after a VAR check confirmed the ball had stayed in play. His goal capped the game, but the bigger point for Morocco is that their depth eventually told. Hakimi and Saibari were the headliners, Rahimi changed the finish, and the team had enough attacking options to survive a messy night.

Group C finish and what Morocco take forward

Morocco do not come out of this looking fully in control, and that is a fair reading after conceding twice to Haiti. But they do come out of it with the group objective achieved. Four points and a +1 goal difference were enough for second place in Group C.

Mohamed Ouahbi's side will probably take more encouragement from the attacking spread than from the overall shape of the match. Hakimi now has 1 goal and 1 assist in 3 tournament appearances, Saibari's scoring streak is intact, and Rahimi showed exactly why he can swing a knockout game from the bench.

Morocco left Atlanta with a 4-2 win, second place in Group C, and a last-32 spot secured.

FAQ

How did Morocco beat Haiti in the 2026 World Cup group stage?

Morocco beat Haiti 4-2 in Atlanta after coming from behind twice. Achraf Hakimi scored in the 39th minute, Ismael Saibari equalised at 45+1, Soufiane Rahimi put Morocco ahead in the 78th minute from a flicked-on corner, and Gessime Yassine added the fourth in the 89th minute after a VAR check confirmed the ball stayed in play.

Why were Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari the key players against Haiti?

Hakimi finished with a goal and an assist, plus 3 shots on target and 8 key passes, which underlined how much of Morocco's attacking play went through him. Saibari scored again in first-half stoppage time and has now found the net in all three World Cup group games he has played.

Did Morocco qualify from Group C after beating Haiti?

Yes. Morocco finished second in Group C on four points with a goal difference of +1. Sky Sports described the 4-2 result as a hard-fought win secured by two late goals, and it was enough to send Morocco through as runners-up.

Was Haiti's first goal credited as a Lenny Joseph goal or a Yassine Bounou own goal?

The description is disputed. One match report said Haiti went ahead through an effort later recorded as a Yassine Bounou own goal, while another described it as Lenny Joseph's overhead kick that deflected in off Bono. The match event feed records the 10th-minute opener as an own goal.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →