When Morocco’s Achraf Hikami struck the ball into the center of the goal, they knew it was just the beginning of the celebrations they were about to have. The footballer’s Panenka surpassed the goalkeeper and hit the nets. His playmates jumped up to rejoice at the moment. But Hakimi rushes towards Yassine Bounou, aka Bono, the Moroccan doorman. The man was the superstar of the night, blocking Spain’s efforts to break up the firefight.
The efforts of Sergio Busquets and Carlos Soler were in vain, as Morocco went ahead 3-0 on tie-break. The two teams met in the round of 16, but with a 0-0 draw. It was after the 120-minute fight that the penalty shootout was played.
This victory sparked celebrations across the country. His followers went crazy and took to the streets to appreciate the historic moment. The skies of Morocco sparkled with firecrackers and flares as people marched through the streets to spread joy. Fans carried the wave of celebration from Education City Stadium to the nearby subway station.
Morocco’s supporters not only expressed their joy at the victory, but also cleaned up the stadium after the game. Soccer player Hakimi also shared her joy with her mother as he ran towards her in the stands after the game.
Morocco fans celebrate around the world
London also witnessed a similar atmosphere everywhere. Both Piccadilly Circus and Edgware Road were packed with fans dressed in their country’s flag. The main shopping area of ​​Oxford Street saw people partying and singing songs.
The scenes in Gaza were no different. The flares lit up the streets of Barcelona all bright. The Spain coach, Luis Enrique, was not happy with the team’s performance.
He felt that his team was in control of the game, but it slipped from him at the last moment. Luis takes responsibility for the defeat since he chose the first three penalty takers. He really wanted to replace the Bounou goalkeeper with another.
Morocco boss Walid Regragui had a different story to tell. He was happy to spread joy among the Moroccan people. He was happy to see the people of Morocco united on the field. Jawad Yamiq spoke on similar grounds when praising his coach. The defender knew that Spain depends on possession of the ball and that the team plays accordingly.
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The African team has always been the underdog. The best they reached was the pre-quarterfinals at the 1986 World Cup. Morocco happens to be the first African nation to reach the World Cup final eight after Ghana did so 12 years ago in South Africa. Also, Senegal (2002) and Cameroon (1990) were able to achieve this feat before.
Ironically, Hakimi was born in Spain, and he is also the one who kicked Spain out of the league. Several others are also related to Spain in one way or another.
It will be interesting to see how they battle against Portugal in the Round of 16 in their quest to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
