Morocco kept the World Cup dreams of the Arab world alive as they eliminated fan favourite Spain in a penalty shootout on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals.
In doing so, it becomes the first Arab country to advance to the last eight, ensuring a breakthrough for the region in the first global tournament in the Middle East, and also becomes the fourth African side to go this far in World Cup history.
Morocco’s victory added lustre to another Arab triumph at the tournament, which saw Saudi Arabia defeat Argentina and Tunisia upset holders France in the group stage.
Morocco, which edged Spain 3-0 in the shootout after a 0-0 draw at the end of two hours of energy-sapping action. It has a chance to become both the Arab world’s and Africa’s first-ever semifinalists if it continues to use the overwhelming support that has backed it through an impressive array of results.
