The goal is much more than the rudimentary act of pushing an artificial goal into a polypropylene net. Take, for example, Azzedine Onahi’s 50th-minute goal in Morocco’s 3-0 win over Canada at the FIFA World Cup. There was cigarette smoke drifting through the cracked window. All 10 Canadian players swarmed the box when Onahi took his shot. It had the art of a seamstress threading a needle through a crowd’s eye. There were three defenders and a goalkeeper between the path of the ball and the net.
But how reprehensible is it to suggest that a goal could be classified as anti-establishment?
Belonged to Ounahi. By then, Canada had almost everything right. Jessie Marsh’s side scored five tries, one of which Tani Oluwasi might have tucked home. By contrast, Morocco’s only previous attempt was a speculative strike by Sofiane Rahimi from just 0.02 expected goal distance.
Morocco did little to justify taking the lead. The goal was to disrupt the status quo. It was another reminder that few footballers have developed a greater affinity for upsetting the established order than Morocco’s No.8.
quiet rebel
The irony extends beyond the pitch.
In four years from now, Morocco will co-host the World Cup. The country is ramping up infrastructure projects worth an estimated $190 billion – nearly 12% of GDP. The investment comes against a backdrop of a youth unemployment rate of more than 30% and a public health care system under increasing scrutiny. In September 2025, the deaths of eight pregnant women sparked a youth-driven nationwide protest called Gen Z 212, after Morocco’s international calling code.
The question was: If Morocco can spend billions preparing for the World Cup, why are women dying while giving birth in public hospitals? The billboards carried a unified message: ‘The stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?’ In Morocco, few things are loved more than football. Childbirth is one of them.
Officials need not worry. For footballers, the memo is simple: excel in Europe’s biggest league, return home as a national hero and leave the politics to the politicians. Aunahi never read the memo. Or, he never cared. He became the first Moroccan international to publicly express solidarity. Soon, others will join.
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Onahi was already an icon in Morocco after the 2022 World Cup. Luis Enrique is rarely surprised, but he admitted: “Oh my God! Who is that number 8? Where did this guy come from? I was pleasantly surprised. The boy didn’t stop running.” That cold in Qatar had turned him into a superstar. Autumn in Casablanca made him something close to a cult figure.
On Saturday, he played like both. Morocco were unmotivated, and the 3-0 scoreline was deceptive. Marsh wasn’t entirely wrong when he later argued: “I’d rather be us than them.” Canada had more shots, more corners and more expected goals.
He also claimed that Canada would have won the next day. Maybe he’s right. But even that day, Onahi’s first shot would still have found a way to beat a diving Maxime Crepue through that jungle of bodies. It was precise. Also that day, his second strike would have broken into the upper left. That was deadly. Even on that day, Onahi would have made up for the Moroccan’s lack of attacking flair with work ethic.
After the historic 2022 campaign, the midfielder was asked what made the difference between Morocco and other teams. He said: “Our mentality has changed. You can’t show up at the World Cup and play when you have the ball and don’t score when you don’t. What defines us is our defence. It starts with our strikers and our goalkeeper – everyone defends.”
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He practices what he preaches. Onahi is among the top three Moroccan players to cover 90 minutes at the tournament. “These traits were born out of force. Late growth meant that by the time he was 16, his lungs had made up for what his body was lacking.
After the promise of 2022, Onahi’s career faded. Marseille thought they had found a bargain when they signed him for €8 million and saw him score on his debut, but numerous injuries stunted his progress. After a season in Greece, Onahi rediscovered the identity he had lost in Girona last season. Canada was another stage in that renaissance.
It was also perfect and uncontested. But there was no need for that either. “What matters is whether we deserve it or not.” Courtesy of his two anti-establishment goals, Morocco did.