During the 90 minutes plus extra time, Spain dominated possession but failed to create many clear chances
Doha Qatar: After 120 minutes of tense and agonising goalless play, Morocco nowhere near comparison, beat soccer giants Spain 3-0 through penalty kicks on Monday, December 5, in an unbelievable turn of events, a special report by Leslie Wilson Jr., in the Khaleej Times, says.
For the second day in a row, penalty kicks was the only option left as a decider, and the Moroccan side popularly known as the Atlas Lions, made no mistake as they scored three times and reach the quarter-finals of the Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
In the process Spain’s fate was sealed and so was their exit from tournament that they had won in 2010. They have become another football powerhouse to exit the tournament following Germany, Denmark, Belgium and Uruguay.
Spain, who won the title in 2010, enjoyed a slight dominance over their spirited rivals through 90 minutes of regulation time and the 30 minutes of extra-time, but could not convert their territorial advantage into goals.
A fearless Morocco rewrote the record books in what was predicted to be the biggest game in Arab football history. And it turned out to be just that.
Two giant saves from goalkeeper Yassine Bounou together with Achraf Hakimi’s perfectly executed penalty was all it took to ensure that Morocco became the first Arab team to reach the quarter-finals.
This tournament has also highlighted in no small measure, the skills and talent of teams from the Middle East and Africa, including Saudi Arabia and Tunisia.
Morocco, now await the winners of the final last 16 match of the tournament between Portugal and Switzerland.
Morocco has enjoyed a dream run at Qatar under their coach and mentor, Walid Regragui, the Moroccan Guardiola. It started off when they first beat Belgium and Croatia to top the group with seven points from a possible nine.
Their previous best was when they reached the last 16 stage in 1986, and it has filled the hearts of every Arab fan with pride and love.
This was not the first time that Morocco and Spain have clashed. The two sides have met three times previously in the World Cup, with the Europeans winning twice and drawing the third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. (Rewrite David Solomon)
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