Morocco Stuns USA 3-0 in Olympic Soccer Quarter-Final, Hakimi Shines

Morocco, seeking revenge after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations, dominated the match from start to finish. The United States never found the solution against the technical quality and commitment of the Moroccans.

Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring on a penalty kick half an hour into the game, before Ilias Akhomach doubled the lead early in the second half. Achraf Hakimi then set the Parisian public on fire with an exceptional goal, concluding a great individual action. El Mehdi Maouhoub completed the Moroccan victory with another penalty at the end of the match.

"What I can say is that the players were men. You can’t imagine their great love for the Moroccan flag, the way they play and their fighting spirit," said the Lionceaux coach, Tarik Sektioui, after the match, adding: "In truth, these men are writing history. Last time we played a tough game, and this time it was an even tougher match."

For Sektioui, "it was a tactical match against the United States, but the men were there, because things have never been easy. I think the players made great sacrifices during the preparations and also during the matches."