GUADALUPE, Mexico — Morocco beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1-1 on Monday night to advance to the round of 16.
Ismael Saibary converted the decisive penalty to send the 2022 tournament’s semi-finalists through to the next round and send Ronald Koeman and the Dutch home at the earliest stage of a men’s World Cup in the country’s history.
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After four rounds the score was tied 2-2 and Moroccan goalkeeper Yacine Bounou made a strong save from Crisencio Summerville’s shot with his left hand. Saibari then sent the winner into the bottom left corner as goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen went the other way.
Morocco will face Canada in the round of 16 on Saturday in Houston.
Cody Gakpo scored in the 72nd minute for the Dutch. After the goal, assisted by Summerville, the Dutch bench ran onto the field to hug 27-year-old Gakpo, who burst into tears.
Gakpo and his partner Noah van der Bij recently announced that their unborn child had died.
Moroccan players celebrate their victory over the Netherlands in the 1/16 finals of the World Cup. Getty Images
Morocco’s Issa Diop equalized in the 91st minute with Chemsdin Talbi’s long cross.
Morocco looked certain to take the lead in the 97th minute of extra time when Soufiane Rahimi’s exquisite footwork put him one-on-one with Verbruggen, but the Dutch goalkeeper was somehow able to save the shot.
Apart from Rahimi’s chance, neither team had a serious chance to score in the 30 minutes of extra time at the BBVA Stadium.
This was the second game of the tournament to end in a penalty shootout. Paraguay beat Germany on penalties earlier Monday in Foxboro, Massachusetts, to secure a spot in the round of 16.
Morocco (sixth in the world) and the Netherlands (seventh) entered with the highest combined rankings of all round of 16 matches.
The Netherlands have reached at least the round of 16 in eight previous World Cup matches, including reaching the quarter-finals four years ago when Morocco reached the semi-finals.
Information from The Associated Press and PA was used in this report.