Morocco defeats Spain to proceed to Quarter-Finals; Bono and Hakimi make history
Morocco’s Bono and Hakimi make history for Morocco after defeating Spain on penalties, booking their spot in their first Quarter-Finals
Morocco is coming off a gripping win over Spain on penalties in a Round of 16 game at the Qatar World Cup.
The North African team became the first African side to reach the World Cup quarter-finals since 2010, and the first African team to win a penalty shootout at the World Cup.
The last African nation to reach that stage was Ghana in 2010.
Spain, on the other hand, has become the third team to lose 3 consecutive World Cup penalty shootouts- along with Italy and England.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou saved spot-kicks from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets after Pablo Sarabia had missed a shot. Achraf Hakimi then scored the decisive kick with an incredible Panenka chip to book Morocco’s spot in the quarter-final.
The team will now play either Portugal or Switzerland for a place in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Hakimi, Bono: stories and history
Born in Madrid to Moroccan immigrant parents, Hakimi was a product of the Real Madrid youth system. His father was a street vendor and his mother cleaned houses. When the time came for the 24-year-old to represent a country on the world stage, Hakimi never forgot his roots and opted to play for Morocco instead.
Today, Hakimi made history for his family.
Bounou, known as Bono, who also plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Sevilla, accomplished another impressive milestone during tonight’s match.
The 31-year-old became the first African goalkeeper ever to save two penalties in a single World Cup penalty shootout.
Morocco on a streak
Morocco is on a roll, having only lost two of their last 45 games.
We’ll have to wait and see what this talented team accomplishes next.