2026 FIFA World Cup:Morocco Survive Late Drama To Knock Out Netherlands And Reach Last 16
2 min read
By Sedara Philip
Monterrey delivered one of this World Cup’s most emotional and dramatic nights, as Morocco outlasted the Netherlands on penalties after a match that swung from dominance to despair and back again.
Morocco controlled long stretches of the game, but Bart Verbruggen stood tall in the Dutch goal, backed up by a generous slice of woodwork luck.
Then came the moment nobody expected to script: Cody Gakpo, who had revealed just two days earlier that he and his partner had lost their unborn son, broke the deadlock with a blistering finish on the counter 18 minutes from time. His teammates mobbed him in a scene heavy with emotion.
It looked like it might be enough to send the Dutch through. It wasn’t. In the very first seconds of stoppage time, Issa Diop rose to head home a curling cross and drag Morocco level, sending the match crashing into extra time.
Verbruggen wasn’t done either, somehow denying Soufiane Rahimi with a stunning reflex save after the substitute danced through Holland’s defense. Neither team could find a winner, so it came down to penalties.
The shootout had everything: Teun Koopmeiners scored, Neil El Aynaoui rattled the bar, Justin Kluivert struck the post, and Rahimi’s effort squeezed agonizingly through Verbruggen’s hands. Wout Weghorst and Talbi traded top-corner finishes before Quinten Timber’s tame attempt went well wide.
When Achraf Hakimi smacked into the post and Yassine Bounou guessed right to save from Crysencio Summerville, the door was open. Ismail Saibari calmly sent Verbruggen the wrong way to clinch a 3-2 shootout win.
Morocco now head to Houston to face Canada in the last 16 on Saturday at 18:00 BST, carrying with them one of the most unforgettable wins of the tournament so far.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
