Ismael Saibari scored the decisive penalty as Morocco defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw, sending the Dutch to an early World Cup exit on Monday night.
The shootout swung back and forth, with Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou making a crucial save on Crysencio Summerville’s attempt to keep his side alive. Saibari then stepped up and placed his shot into the lower left corner, while goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen dove the opposite way. Saibari immediately celebrated wildly as teammates surrounded him.
Earlier in the shootout, Morocco had briefly trailed when Soufiane Rahimi’s effort appeared to be saved, only for Verbruggen to inadvertently deflect the ball over the line while trying to control it, leveling the contest.
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi credited his team’s resilience after the victory, saying the side’s effort on the pitch had been rewarded.
The Netherlands, who have traditionally been strong in World Cup knockout play, were eliminated in the Round of 32. Morocco, by contrast, continued its strong tournament form and advanced to face co-host Canada in the Round of 16 in Houston.
The match itself was tightly contested, with Morocco controlling large portions of play while the Netherlands relied on counterattacks. Cody Gakpo put the Dutch ahead in the 72nd minute, finishing a move assisted by Crysencio Summerville. Gakpo later showed visible emotion after the goal, following the recent personal loss announced by him and his partner.
Morocco responded deep into stoppage time when Issa Diop equalized in the 91st minute, heading in a cross from Chemsdine Talbi to force extra time.
Neither side could break the deadlock through 30 minutes of extra time, leading to the penalty shootout. Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman brought on Justin Kluivert specifically for the shootout, but he was among the players who failed to convert, contributing to the Dutch defeat.
Koeman later acknowledged the disappointment, noting the substitution was made with penalties in mind.
The loss marked the Netherlands’ third consecutive World Cup elimination in a penalty shootout.
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