Xplorich
Ismael Saibari held his nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout to fire Morocco into the last 16 and condemn the Netherlands to their earliest FIFA World Cup exit in recent memory, as the Atlas Lions prevailed 3-2 after a 1-1 draw in Monterrey on Monday night.With the shootout delicately poised at 2-2 after four rounds, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produced a decisive moment, diving sharply to his left to palm away Crysencio Summerville’s effort. That save swung momentum firmly Morocco’s way, and Saibari stepped up to take the decisive kick, placing a composed low finish into the bottom-left corner as Bart Verbruggen dived the wrong way. The Netherlands had looked on course to advance after Cody Gakpo struck in the 72nd minute, finishing a well-timed assist from Summerville. The goal sparked emotional celebrations as the Dutch bench rushed onto the pitch, with Gakpo breaking down in tears amid personal grief after recently revealing the loss of his unborn child.However, Morocco refused to be denied. Deep into stoppage time, Issa Diop rose to head home Chemsdine Talbi’s cross in the 91st minute, forcing extra time at Estadio BBVA.Neither side managed a clear scoring opportunity in the additional 30 minutes, setting up a tense shootout in a contest between two of the highest-ranked teams in the round — Morocco sixth in the world and the Netherlands seventh.
The Moroccan team starts to celebrate after winning on penalty kicks the World Cup round of 32 match. (AP Photo)
The result ends the Netherlands’ run of reaching at least the Round of 16 in eight previous World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance four years ago, while Morocco — who reached the semifinals in the previous edition — continue their impressive rise on the global stage.It was also the second penalty shootout of the tournament, after Paraguay’s win over Germany earlier in the day.
