Morocco got there in the end, but Haiti made them work for it. The Atlas Lions won 4-2, qualified for the round of 32, and still came away with a few fantasy questions because this was not a clean, controlled win.
Haiti were already heading out, but they gave the tournament one last burst of life. Lenny Joseph forced the opener, Wilson Isidor scored a belter, and Johny Placide had to make save after save before Morocco's quality finally took over.
Here are the Demon Notes from Morocco 4-2 Haiti: Saibari keeps scoring, Hakimi finally lands a fantasy return, Haiti exit with pride, and what Morocco mean for round-of-32 qualification booster planning.
Morocco 4-2 Haiti
- Goals: Achraf Hakimi, Ismael Saibari, Soufiane Rahimi, Gessime Yassine; Haiti scored through a Yassine Bounou own goal and Wilson Isidor
- Key story: Morocco finished second in Group C behind Brazil and qualified for the round of 32
- Haiti story: Haiti were eliminated, but scored twice and showed far more fight than the table suggests
- Current projected R32 route: Morocco v Netherlands (provisional)
- Demon route model: Morocco 42% to advance, 44% Clean Sheet Shield; Haiti are eliminated
- Fantasy story: Saibari has scored in all three group games; Hakimi had a goal, assist-level threat and huge chance creation
Team Stats
Player Stats
| Player | Pos | Price | Output | Match stats | Fantasy verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ismael Saibari | MID | £6.8m | Goal | Scored in all three group games and is Morocco's form attacker | Buy if Morocco get a kind R32 draw |
| Achraf Hakimi | DEF | £6.0m | Goal | 5 shots, 7 chances created, 104 touches, 9 crosses | Great upside, but clean sheets are not guaranteed |
| Soufiane Rahimi | FWD | £5.6m | Goal off bench | Changed the game late and scored the third | Punt only if he starts |
| Gessime Yassine | FWD | £4.0m | Late goal | Finished the fourth after VAR review | Cheap name, but minutes risk is huge |
| Yassine Bounou | GK | £4.7m | Own goal conceded | Morocco allowed two Haiti goals from 0.66 xG | Not a banker unless the R32 matchup is soft |
| Wilson Isidor | FWD | £5.0m | Goal | Brilliant long-range strike | Haiti are out, so no future fantasy use |
Demon Notes
- Saibari (£6.8m) is the Morocco fantasy story. Three group games, three goals, and the role looks real enough to keep him in round-of-32 conversations.
- Hakimi (£6.0m) finally gave fantasy managers the attacking return his underlying numbers have been screaming for. Seven chances created by a defender is silly.
- Morocco's attack looked strong, but conceding twice to Haiti is the reason we cannot blindly call their defence a qualification-booster lock.
- Haiti deserve credit. They were already eliminated and still pushed Morocco into a proper game. From a fantasy view, though, their tournament is done.
- Morocco's 3.26 xG and 22 shots say the win was deserved. The only concern is that it took late bench goals to finish the job.
Qualification And Round Of 32 Angle
Morocco are through as Group C runners-up. In the current provisional R32 snapshot, they are projected to face the Netherlands. Demon has Morocco at 42% to advance and 44% for Clean Sheet Shield, so this is not a free booster route.
Would I load three Morocco players for the qualification booster right now? No. I like Saibari, I like Hakimi, and maybe one defender if you are punting, but against a provisional Netherlands route they are upside plays rather than banker picks. Haiti are out, so their players are removed from R32 planning.
Verdict: Morocco are a good R32 team to monitor, not an automatic triple-up. Saibari is the cleanest buy; Hakimi is the upside defender; the provisional 42% advance chance keeps the rest in punt territory.