2022 FIFA World Cup: Morocco roar into quarterfinals as Spain pay the penalty
Atlas Lions become fourth African nation to make the last eight
The Atlas lions of Morocco Tuesday at the Education City Stadium defeated Spain to qualify for the quarterfinal of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
After a goalless 120 minutes of football, the tension soaked match went on to penalties where the Spaniards lost three kicks and the Moroccans scored all three.
Morocco have thus become the fourth African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.
It was Spain’s fifth World Cup penalty shootout, the joint-most of any nation (level with Argentina) but have become the first nation in World Cup history to lose four penalty shootouts, while they’ve become just the second side to not score in one after Switzerland against Ukraine in 2006.
In regulation and extra time, Spain, with 77% of possession had only one shot on target while the Moroccans who had just 13% of possession had two despite a defensive play for most of the game.
The Spaniard also attempted just one shot in the first 45 minutes against Morocco, their fewest in a first half of a World Cup game since at least 1966.
