Morocco Beat Spain With Penalty To Reach World Cup Quarter Finals

Morocco cruise past Spain with penalties to reach World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history on Tuesday after the match finished 0-0.

The African side won the shoot-out 3-0 after Spain failed to convert all three of their spot kicks.

Spain coach Luis Enrique had claimed his players prepared by taking 1,000 penalties as homework but Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets all missed from the spot and Madrid-born Hakimi dinked his home to the delight of Morocco’s raucous support.

Walid Regragui’s side will face Portugal or Switzerland in what is uncharted territory for them, with their previous best a last-16 exit in 1986.

Spain had been hoping they could repeat their 2010 World Cup triumph after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they were also beaten on penalties by Italy.

The teams were closely matched through a nail-biting clash, with Spain having more of the ball but Morocco creating the better openings, few though they were.

Luis Enrique trialled his third right-back of the tournament in Marcos Llorente, and benched the team’s top scorer Alvaro Morata for Marco Asensio, after the shock defeat by Japan.

Walid Regragui’s side will play against Portugal or Switzerland in what is uncharted territory for them, with their previous best a last-16 exit in 1986.