Morocco stunned Spain to reach the World Cup quarter-finals with right-back Achraf Hakimi scoring the decisive spot kick in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw yesterday.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Hakimi scored with a Panenka penalty after Spain missed three spot-kicks and exited with a 3-0 shootout defeat. And Morocco made history by reaching their first quarter-final and also becoming the first Arab nation to progress to that stage of the tournament.
Morocco also became only the fourth African nation to reach the last eight of the tournament, 12 years after Ghana did so in South Africa.
After a scrappy match finished 0-0 after extra time with few shots on target for either side, Morocco fed off the raucous support of their red-clad supporters in the shootout as Spain crumbled.
Spain enjoyed more than 75 per cent of possession and completed almost 800 passes but Morocco caused problems for them on the counter-attack and goalkeeper Unai Simon made some good saves.
It was the fourth time Spain have been knocked out of the World Cup on penalties and the second in a row.
The Spanish spent big chunks of the match just orbiting around the Morocco penalty area without attempting any shots, through balls or moves to break down their well organised opponents.
Morocco tried to use the pace of Hakim Ziyech and Soufiane Boufal and a foul on the latter gave the African side the first scoring opportunity as Achraf Hakimi blazed over a free kick.
Defender Nayef Aguerd headed over and Marco Asensio hit the side-netting for Spain.
Dani Olmo had Spain’s first shot on-target in the 54th minute with a angled shot which Bounou palmed away.
Spain coach Luis Enrique sent on Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams to inject a bit of life into his team and Morocco had to dig deep to get through extra time without conceding.
They managed to do so and Spain’s collapse in the shootout prompted wild celebrations among the Morocco supporters.
Later, Goncalo Ramos scored a stunning hat-trick as a slick Portugal thrashed Switzerland 6-1 to storm into the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos took the brave call to bench Cristiano Ronaldo and was rewarded with an artful display from his side as they set up a last-eight clash with Morocco.
Ramos, making his first start at the World Cup, gave Portugal the lead in the 17th minute after latching onto Joao Felix’s pass and smashing the ball past Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer at his near post from an acute angle.
The 21-year-old Benfica striker scored his second, and Portugal’s third, six minutes after the break by getting onto the end of Diogo Dalot’s low cross and he completed his hat-trick in the 67th with a delicate dinked finish.
Pepe had doubled Portugal’s lead with a powerful header from a Bruno Fernandes corner after 33 minutes and Raphael Guerreiro rifled in their fourth in the 55th before Rafael Leao completed the rout in added time with a curled finish.
Manuel Akanji scored a consolation goal for the Swiss from a corner just before the hour.
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