Yassine Bounou killed the team in a penalty shoot-out and saved two of Spain’s three shots after finishing 0-0 on the scoreboard
Morocco’s Yassine Bounou saves a penalty.EFE extension
The world of surprises. Once again, the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup once again delivers one of the most iconic results in history. Morocco eliminated Spain in the round of 16 on penalties after drawing 0-0 after 120 minutes.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou dressed up as a hero by saving two of Spain’s three shots in the penalty shoot-out, the first Dani Olmo hitting the post, but Bounou had guessed the trajectory.
With this result, Morocco becomes the first African team to reach the quarter-finals since Ghana did so in South Africa 2010 when they were eliminated by Uruguay on penalties. On the other hand, Spain has failed to reach the quarter-final instance for 12 years now when they were champions in 2010.
Spain passed in possession, but Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea) on the right; and Sofiane Boufal (from the French Angers), left; They heralded dangers. The first opportunity was for Morocco by Madrid-born Achraf Hakimi, a right winger who trained at Real Madrid and who, after having shone at German Borussia Dortmund, is now at French PSG. In the 11th minute, Achraf fired a direct kick that grazed the crossbar of Unai Simón’s goal.
Of the North African squad’s starting eleven, the other winger, Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich), joined the attack from the left; and two Sevilla players: goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, hero of his team, and centre-forward Youssef En-Nasyri, replaced in the 82nd minute by Abdelhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria), who scored the first goal in the victory against Belgium.
The coach of the ‘lions of the Atlas’, Walid Regragui, who took office just three months ago and who as a footballer played for Racing Santander for two seasons, has placed his captain, Romain Saiss, in central defense as expected (Besiktas) —the more experienced, who played his 70th international game on Tuesday— and Nayef Aguerd (West Ham), who scared the Spanish side just before the break with a header that went just over.
Morocco tried to strike first, but a shot at the post from Gavi, first (although the game was ruled out for offside); and a pass down the left from Jordi Alba to Marco Asensio, culminating in a shot that grazed the right post of the goal defended by “Bono”, showed that Spain could also do damage.
The clearest opportunity however, after the first half hour, comes from a left footed shot from outside the box by Mazraoui, deflected by the Athletic goalkeeper.
The interval came goalless, but with the Moroccan fans “fighting” in the stands, from which they continued to push after the restart. “Bono” showed his qualities against a shot by Dani Olmo in the 55th minute.
North African fans cheered Boufal 20 minutes into the second half when he was replaced by Abde, 20, who plays for Osasuna on loan from FC Barcelona and who made his international cap for the fourth time on Tuesday.
Spain are still in possession, with Regragui’s men very well organized on the pitch, awaiting the counterattack. Sofian Amrabat (Fiorentina) canceled a chance from Nico Williams and almost at the end Morata headed high.
“Bono” took a poisoned free kick from Dani Olmo; the score did not budge and the game went to overtime. But he didn’t change the script. Spain with the ball; Morocco, with a lot of order, hopes to surprise.
Wallid Cheddira (Bari) would succeed, coming on for Selim Amallah (Liège) in the 82nd minute and left alone, in the 104th minute, against Unai, who returned to shine at the end of the first part of extra time; which ended once again with Spain attacking. Upon reopening, Cheddira once again set the hearts of Spanish fans in his fist. And in her last breath, Sarabia, who entered the expiry for Nico, almost unbalanced the score.
Argentine referee Fernando Rapallini signaled the end of extra time and the match would go to penalties. This is where Bounou would become a hero and send Morocco straight to the quarter-finals.
Olmo sends the first shot to the right post, but Bounou still guesses the trajectory of the ball. Adbelhamid Sabiri converted first for Morocco and was already ahead on the goalscorer. Bounou’s show would come later and he saved shots from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets.
Hakim Ziyech seized the moment and doubled up for Morocco. Badr Banoune missed Morocco’s third shot following a save by Unai Simón. Already in the fourth and with the score 2-0, Achraf Hakimi decided to hit Simón’s ball and scored the last penalty that would have buried Spain.
With Spain back home, Morocco are already expecting a rival between Portugal and Switzerland.
With information from EFE.
