World Cup: Morocco becomes first Arab country to ever reach quarterfinals
Morocco kept the World Cup dreams of the Arab world alive as they eliminated fancied Spain in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals.
In doing so, it becomes the first Arab country to advance to the last eight, ensuring a breakthrough for the region in the first global tournament in the Middle East, and also became the fourth African side to go this far in World Cup history.
Morocco, who edged Spain 3-0 in the shootout after a 0-0 draw at the end of two hours of energy-sapping action, now has a chance to become both the Arab world and Africa’s first-ever semi-finalists if it continues to use the overwhelming support that has backed it through an impressive array of results.
They will play on Saturday in the quarterfinal at Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium against either Portugal or Switzerland, who are in action later on Tuesday.
Morocco was happy to allow Spain possession but in the end, was desperately hanging on for the shootout as it battled injury and fatigue and lived dangerously in the closing stages.
Spain had a dominant 63 percent of possession in the game and, even given the 30 minutes of extra time, made an extraordinary 1,068 passes, 988 of them successfully completed.
But most of them shuffled from one side to another, rarely producing the penetrative pass Spain were looking for. Morocco had moments of enterprise on the counterattack which was carried by the individual efforts of the likes of midfield destroyer Sofyan Amrabat and wing backs Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui.
