AGADIR, March 15, 2014 (AFP) - The Spaniard, who held a one-stroke lead from England's Seve Benson overnight at the Golf du Palais Royal, shot a three under par 69 for a 17 under par total of 199.
Benson carded a 74 to lie second, one shot clear of Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands with Sweden's Magnus Carlsson in a five-way tie for third, two shots further away.
Canizares, whose last win came in the Russian Open, told Sky Sports: "It was tough today, especially on the front nine the pins were difficult to get close to and some even difficult to two-putt.
"My idea was to get to 20 under, that was my focus. I was trying to look forward all the time not behind me. It was a pity I started missing some shots right at the end and I could not take advantage of the par fives on the back nine."
He was careful not to be tricked into believing victory was a foregone conclusion, adding: "In this game anything can happen. Everybody saw that you can go low on this golf course, I have to keep going forward and do the best I can on every shot."
Benson, seeking his debut European Tour title, said he had struggled to get the ball "pin-high today".
Of his plan to overhaul Canizares in Sunday's final round he said: "The key will be to try to get a couple of shots back on Alejandro on the front nine, because that is the most difficult part of the course."
Scores of the third round in the Trophee Hassan II at Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir, Morocco on Saturday (GBR/IRL unless stated, par 72):
199 - Alejandro Canizares (ESP) 62 68 69
205 - Seve Benson 63 68 74
206 - Robert Jan Derksen (NED) 69 70 67
208 - Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71 67 70, Magnus A Carlsson (SWE) 65 71 72, Shiv Kapur (IND) 70 71 67, Paul Waring 72 69 67, David Horsey 72 64 72
209 - Richard Bland 69 70 70, Marc Warren 66 73 70, Wade Ormsby (AUS) 68 71 70
210 - Robert Rock 71 68 71, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 71 69 70, Rafael Cabrera Bello (ESP) 68 67 75
211 - Richie Ramsay 72 71 68, Andrew Sullivan 66 73 72, Tommy Fleetwood 66 72 73, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 68 69 74, Alexander Levy (FRA) 70 72 69
212 - Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 74 70 68, Rhys Davies 68 73 71, Danny Willett 72 70 70, George Coetzee (RSA) 69 69 74, Florian Fritsch (GER) 72 70 70, David Drysdale 73 67 72, Stephen Dodd 68 73 71, Connor Arendell (USA) 65 71 76, Richard Green (Aus) 70 73 69
213 - Lucas Bjerregaard (DEN) 69 73 71, Adrien Saddier (FRA) 72 72 69, Mark Tullo (CHI) 74 69 70, Daniel Im (USA) 71 73 69, Marcel Siem (GER) 69 69 75, Tom Lewis 69 74 70, Jens Dantorp (SWE) 73 71 69, Nacho Elvira (Spn) 70 75 68, James Morrison 69 69 75
214 - Brett Rumford (AUS) 73 71 70, Tyrrell Hatton 73 72 69, Marco Crespi (ITA) 71 74 69, Ross Fisher 70 73 71, Daniel Brooks 72 70 72, Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 67 73 74, Simon Dyson 73 70 71, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 71 73 70, Gary Stal (FRA) 73 71 70, Michael Hoey 68 70 76
215 - Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 69 73 73, Robert Dinwiddie 71 71 73, Simon Wakefield 72 73 70