Morocco Stuns Spain in Penalty Shootout to Reach First Ever Quarterfinals
Morocco continued its stunning run at Qatar 2022, beating Spain on penalties to reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in its history.
As reported by the CNN, Spain missed all three of its spot kicks as Moroccan goalkeeper Bono made himself the hero of the shootout, saving efforts from Sergio Busquets and Carlos Soler, while Pablo Sarabia hit the post.
Achraf Hakimi, who was born in Spain, buried the winning penalty with the cheekiest of Panenkas, chipping the ball gently into the middle of the goal to send the thousands of Moroccan fans inside Education Stadium into dreamland.
Defeat for Spain continues its wretched World Cup record since lifting the trophy in 2010, with La Roja managing just three tournament wins – against Australia, Iran and Costa Rica – in the three editions since that triumph.
Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Spain coach Luis Enrique said that he had given his players “homework” a year ago to practice 1,000 penalties at their clubs, but when the heat of the moment arrived, Busquets, Soler and Sarabia cracked under the pressure.
Not so Hakimi, whose nerveless dink sparked wild scenes on the pitch as the Paris Saint-Germain full-back was mobbed by his teammate and coaching staff.
This Morocco team has been a revelation this tournament, defending valiantly and attacking with verve and fans of the North African national team will rightly feel confident of getting past either Switzerland or Portugal in the next round to create yet more history.
