Morocco survive a Haiti scare in a six-goal thriller as the debutants make history

If the World Cup is at its best when it is unpredictable, the meeting of Morocco and Haiti in Atlanta was a perfect advertisement. A chaotic, six-goal contest ended 4-2 to Morocco, but not before Haiti had written their own slice of history and given the Atlas Lions a genuine scare.

It was Haiti who struck first, racing into an early lead and stunning the favourites. For a nation playing on this stage for the first time, the goals carried enormous weight: these were Haiti's first ever World Cup goals, a milestone that will be cherished long after the result faded. Wilson Isidor was among the scorers as the Grenadiers dared to dream.

By half-time the sides were level at 2-2, the kind of breathless scoreline that hinted at a classic. Morocco, rattled but loaded with quality, regrouped at the interval knowing their superior firepower should eventually tell against opponents committed to attacking but vulnerable at the back.

So it proved. Soufiane Rahimi was central to the turnaround, finding the net to put Morocco back in front in the second half and then influencing the move that sealed it late on. Two goals in the closing stages turned a nervy contest into a 4-2 win and spared Morocco any final-day drama.

For Morocco, the relief was as palpable as the satisfaction. A side with ambitions of going deep cannot afford slip-ups against the group's underdogs, and for a spell this had threatened to become exactly that. Coming through a genuine test, rather than cruising, may even serve them well as the competition hardens.

For Haiti, the defeat could not erase the pride. Scoring twice against a side of Morocco's calibre, and leading them on the World Cup stage, is the sort of achievement that inspires a footballing nation. They leave the tournament having competed with spirit and having etched their name into their own history books.

The match summed up the romance of an expanded World Cup: a debutant nation refusing to be overawed, a heavyweight forced to earn its win the hard way, and six goals to keep the neutrals enthralled. Both teams contributed to a memorable night in Atlanta.

It is the kind of result that flatters neither the margin nor the drama, a final score that hides just how close the Atlas Lions came to a serious upset. They will not want many more nights like it, but they will take the three points gladly.

Morocco march on with the points and the lessons; Haiti go home with their heads held high and a historic milestone secured. For every result and the shape of the knockout rounds, follow the latest football news.