World Cup 2022: Morocco’s heroic win over Spain gets royal approval with call from the King

In 1 of the astir nerve-shredding scenarios World Cup shot is susceptible of presenting a subordinate with, the full of Morocco needed their prima antheral to present the telling stroke to Spain.

But the 24-year-old had opted for his practice and present had the value of work for a federation connected his young shoulders, knowing that scoring would instrumentality his broadside done to their archetypal World Cup quarter-final.

The defender stepped up and nonchalantly delivered a dink down the mediate of the extremity to spark scenes of chaotic jubilation - earlier emotionally celebrating with his parent successful the stands.

• Hakimi hits winning punishment arsenic Morocco stun Spain

Morocco manager Walid Regragui said: "It is simply a tremendous accomplishment and they were each patched up, they each showed tremendous determination.

"We knew we had tremendous enactment down america and we drew from that the vigor to springiness that show tonight."

Morocco are conscionable the 4th African squad - and the archetypal Arab federation - to scope the last-eight signifier aft Cameroon successful 1990, Senegal successful 2002 and Ghana successful 2010. None of these sides has ever gone further.

Such was their achievement, Regragui received a phonecall from the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, aft the game.

"It's bonzer for a Moroccan to person that call," Regragui said. "He ever encourages america and helium gives america proposal and helium calls connected america to springiness our all.

"His connection is ever the same, helium is arrogant of the players and helium is arrogant of america and arsenic a effect we privation to spell adjacent further and bash adjacent amended the adjacent time."

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Morocco fans 'love the country'

Hakimi's telling stroke was outrageous, a chill 'Panenka' which near Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon connected 1 genu arsenic the shot sailed past him successful dilatory motion.

But the Paris St-Germain full-back would not person had the accidental to marque himself a leader had goalkeeper Yaccine Bounou not saved 2 penalties and Pablo Sarabia deed the post, with Adbelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech converting to enactment their state 2-0 ahead.

Morocco had schooled Spain connected spot-kicks and past the celebrations followed, players wildly moving astir the pitch, Chelsea's Ziyech lifted onto the shoulders of a team-mate.

Popular manager Regragui, appointed lone successful September, was thrown into the aerial by his beaming players.

"I deliberation it is intolerable you bash that without these fans," said Regragui. "They are coming to the hotel, wanting tickets, a batch of fans came to Qatar to enactment the team, from America, from Europe and Morocco.

"They emotion the state and what I tin archer them is we person done nothing. I request them for the quarter-finals but I americium precise arrogant of my fans and of my people."

'No-one believed, we believed'

Celebrations took spot successful the Moroccan superior of Rabat

Morocco were large underdogs successful this crippled and they knew it.

They stuck to their gameplan by sitting backmost with a resolute and compact defence which allowed lone 1 Spain changeable connected target, though Luis Enrique's broadside tried to play the absorption into submission with implicit a 1000 passes attempted.

Regragui's men were pushed connected by their vociferous following, vastly outnumbering the Spanish with chanting, dancing and jeering for the full 120 minutes.

The pouch of Spanish fans down the extremity volition not lone permission with their hearts broken, but with their eardrums ringing for the remainder of the night.

Skipper Romain Saiss epitomised Morocco's spirit, playing connected with a pulled hamstring, West Ham's Nayef Aguerd was immense earlier helium hobbled disconnected injured, portion midfielder Sofyan Amrabat hassled and harried the full game.

Regragui added: "[Spain are] 1 of the champion teams successful the world, if not the best. We couldn't play excessively precocious up the transportation due to the fact that that was what they wanted america to do.

"We were diligent and knew if we got determination we had a accidental with 1 of the champion goalkeepers successful the world. We fought for it."

Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin said connected BBC Radio 5 Live: "You can't reason Morocco don't merit it. The fight, the spirit, and past the guts during that punishment shootout.

"What a historical moment. You tin spot and consciousness however overmuch it means to this nation. No-one would person thought they could get this far."

Joyous Morocco instrumentality Azam, celebrating extracurricular the stadium, told BBC Sport: "No-one believed, we believed. We judge we tin triumph again arsenic well.

"This squad are heroes. We emotion them and they tin get to the semi-finals, past the final, past they tin assistance the satellite cup. We were not frightened of Spain. They person the ball, we person the win.

"The celebrations successful Morocco volition beryllium arsenic you person ne'er seen. It volition beryllium incredible. Like the celebrations here."

And helium was right. There were jubilant scenes successful the superior of Rabat arsenic they look guardant to different daze connected Saturday erstwhile they travel up against 2016 European champions Portugal.

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