GUADALUPE, Mexico — In a thrilling encounter, Morocco triumphed over the Netherlands in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1 on Monday night, securing their place in the round of 16.
Ismael Saibari converted the decisive penalty, propelling the semifinalists from the previous tournament into the next round while marking a significant low for Ronald Koeman and the Dutch, who exit the World Cup earlier than ever before.
With the penalty shootout tied at 2-2 after four rounds, Morocco’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou delivered a crucial save against Crysencio Summerville, deflecting his shot with a skillful left-handed stop. Saibari then secured the victory by slotting the ball into the bottom left corner while Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen dove the opposite way.
Morocco now advances to face Canada in the round of 16 this Saturday in Houston.
Cody Gakpo scored for the Dutch in the 72nd minute, with an assist from Summerville. Following the goal, the Dutch bench rushed onto the field to celebrate with Gakpo, who was visibly emotional.
Recently, Gakpo and his partner, Noa van der Bij, had shared the tragic news of their unborn child’s passing.
Morocco equalized in the 91st minute with a header from Issa Diop, who connected with a long cross from Chemsdine Talbi.
In the 97th minute of extra time, Morocco almost found the lead when Soufiane Rahimi created a fantastic chance, breaking past Verbruggen. However, the Dutch goalkeeper managed to make a crucial deflection to keep the match tied.
Despite Rahimi’s opportunity, both teams struggled to convert in 30 minutes of extra time at Estadio BBVA.
This match marked the second of the tournament to end in a penalty shootout; earlier on Monday, Paraguay had triumphed over Germany via penalties to secure their spot in the round of 16.
With a world ranking of sixth, Morocco faced the seventh-ranked Netherlands, who had previously achieved at least the round of 16 in all eight of their past World Cup appearances, including a quarterfinal run four years ago, while Morocco reached the semifinals.
Information from The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.