Morocco vs Spain : Morocco beat 2010 champions Spain to reach their first World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday after winning their round of 16 encounter on penalties at the Education City Stadium. Morocco beat Spain 3–0 on penalties, with all three of Spain’s penalty takers failing to score.
Morocco vs Spain Highlights: Morocco stun Spain 3-0 on penalties to reach historic quarter-finals
A product of Real Madrid’s youth system, Achraf Hakimi calmly scored the winner to send the African side into the last eight as players and fans celebrated in the stadium.
Morocco vs Spain Highlights
The match went to a penalty shootout after both teams failed to break the deadlock in regulation time. After 30 minutes of extra time, the score remained tied at 0–0, with the game going to a shootout. Spain’s poor record in World Cup shootouts continued, paving the way for Morocco, who will face Portugal in the last eight.
Absolute scenes. 😳
Morocco are into the World Cup Quarter-Finals! 🇲🇦 #FIFAWorldCup | @adidasfootball
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2022
Sergio Busquets along with two substitutes Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler, came on to take the Spanish penalty and failed to score. Whereas, only Badr Benoun missed a goal for Morocco, with Abdelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech scoring with Hakimi.
THE HERO 👑🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/WCaCZEmHqh
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2022
Spain coach Luis Enrique claimed his players had prepared by taking 1,000 penalties as homework, but Sarabia, Soler and Busquets all missed their chances and Madrid-born Hakimi led a formidable Moroccan side. He drowned his house in happiness.
Spain had hoped to repeat their 2010 World Cup triumph after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they were also beaten on penalties by Italy.
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The teams were closely contested in a tight contest, with Spain having more of the ball but Morocco having the better opening, although they were short.
Luis Enrique tested his third right-back of the tournament in Marcos Llorente, and benched the team’s top scorer Álvaro Morata for Marco Asensio, following the shock defeat to Japan.
Spain monopolized the ball, with the Moroccan fans booing furiously, denying their side possession.
Morocco, the last African and Arab team standing in the first World Cup held in an Arab country, was heavily supported and had far more fans than Spain.
𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐒 😳
Morocco reach the Quarter-Finals for the first time. 🇲🇦 #FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/Z6uVjyLmWz
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 6, 2022
They were identical to the away team on the opposite field, with La Rosa playing in a light blue second strip.
Gavi, who at the age of 18 years and 123 days became the youngest player to start a World Cup knockout game since Brazilian great Pele in 1958, rose to the occasion.
Barcelona’s midfield terrier was furious, taking down challenges left, right and centre, even diving in to create one with his head.
Moroccan goalkeeper Yassin Bono pointed a Gavi strike over the crossbar, although it would have been ruled offside, while Asensio drilled into the side netting, although Spain made little progress.
Watch Morocco vs Spain Highlights
