Morocco first African side into World Cup last 16

by MOHAMED EL KADIRI
CASABLANCA, (CAJ News) – MOROCCO’S quest to replicate or better their World Cup record from the last edition remains intact after they qualified for the last-16 stage with a 3-2 penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands.

This encounter at the Estadio Monterrey in Mexico in the early hours of Tuesday was the latest in a series of closely fought contests between the rivals.

Ismael Saibari converted the decisive spot-kick after a comedy of errors in the penalty shootout.

Morocco, semi-finalists four years ago in Qatar, are the first African side at this tournament to progress to the last 16.

Cody Gakpo, playing through the grief of losing an unborn son, seemed to have settled the contest in the 72nd minute.

The Number 11 put the Dutch side ahead after evading a flurry of tackles inside the box following a pass from tournament breakthrough star Crysencio Summerville.

However, in the first minute of the six added on, centre-back Issa Laye Lucas Jean Diop levelled for Morocco to force extra time with a majestic header, his first international goal, from a well-weighted cross by Chemsdine Talbi.

Exactly 32 years after the two sides last met in this tournament in Orlando in the United States, this was one of the most anticipated duels of the last-32 stage of this edition, which the United States is co-hosting.

In 1994, the Dutch prevailed 2-1, the scoreline that had decided the meeting between the two sides in that tournament and two subsequent friendlies played in 1997 and 2017.

The Netherlands had won two of those meetings.

That Morocco’s Atlas Lions had in their ranks some star players born and developed in the Netherlands, including Noussair Mazraoui and Saibari, who were in Walid Regragui’s starting XI against the Oranje, as well as Sofyan Amrabat and Anass Salah-Eddine among the substitutes, added another dimension to the rivalry.

It was thus always going to be a game of narrow margins in north-eastern Mexico and, eventually, the first encounter between the two sides to end in a draw.

Possession was 50-50 at half-time, but there was little goalmouth action, with the Netherlands registering two shots, both on target, and Morocco having one effort, which was off target.

Gakpo’s finish had set the north-western Europeans on course for progression to the last 16 but, typical of the knockout stage of this tournament, there would be a stoppage-time goal for the third day running when Diop equalised to send the game to extra time.

Soufiane Rahimi had a great one-on-one chance in the sixth minute of extra time, but Bart Verbruggen pulled off one of the greatest saves of the tournament thus far to deny him.

Eventually, Saibari won it with the final spot-kick after Yassine Bounou saved Summerville’s attempt.

Morocco are to meet co-hosts Canada in the last 16.

– CAJ News