Morocco 0-0 Spain (3-0 pens): Exceptional Bono helps seal quarter final spot

Morocco have become only the fourth African team to qualify for the quarter finals of the World Cup. They defeated 2010 winners Spain 3-0 on penalties to win their Round of 16 tie as the underdogs. 

The two teams could not score even after 120 minutes of intense football, which sent the game to penalties. And a career-defining performance from Bono helped them punch their ticket for the quarter finals by defeating one of the biggest teams in the competition yet again. 

Morocco defeat Spain on penalties to go through 

Bono kept a clean sheet even after 120 minutes of football, and kept out three successive penalties. As a result, Morocco won the penalty shootout without allowing their opponents a single converted spot-kick. 

Pablo Sarabia hit the post, while Sergio Busquets and Carlos Soler were both denied by the goalkeeper. Achraf Hakimi, born in Madrid, scored the decisive penalty to send his country through. 

Prior to the tournament, Luis Enrique confirmed that his players were tasked with practising a thousand penalties ahead of the World Cup. But, they were unable to win with the pressure mounted on them. And they have now become the team to lose the most penalty shootouts at the World Cup, with four defeats. 

Moreover, this is their third international tournament exit following the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 Euros. Morocco are the first Arab country to have made it this far, and will be expected to put up a huge fight for a spot in the last four, like they did today.