Morocco set new African World Cup records
July 1, 2026 2:14 am
Morocco’s defender #14 Issa Diop (R) celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with forward #09 Soufiane Rahimi during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between the Netherlands and Morocco at the Monterrey Stadium in Guadalupe on June 29, 2026. (Photo by Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP)
Following their victory over the Netherlands in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, Morocco set new benchmarks for African teams at the tournament in terms of possession and progression, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Morocco eliminated the Dutch 3-2 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 following extra time.
Issa Diop scored a late equaliser to cancel out Cody Gakpo’s 72nd-minute opener for the Netherlands and force the game into extra time.
During the penalty shootout, both sides had already missed two spot-kicks before Crysencio Summerville saw the Netherlands’ fifth penalty saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, allowing Ismael Saibari to convert the decisive kick and seal victory for the Atlas Lions.
According to football statistics platform Opta, the shootout victory over the Netherlands means Morocco have now progressed from three FIFA World Cup knockout ties, equalling the combined total of all other African nations in the history of the competition.
At the 2022 World Cup, the Moroccans defied the odds to reach the semi-finals, winning two knockout matches before adding a third at this year’s tournament.
Before Morocco’s feat, only Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 had won knockout matches at the FIFA World Cup.
Opta also recorded Morocco with 70 per cent possession against the Netherlands during open play.
According to the statistics platform, it is the highest possession recorded by an African team in a FIFA World Cup knockout match since records began in 1966.
The Atlas Lions entered the 2026 World Cup as Africa’s highest-ranked team and seventh in the world.
Led by coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who has been in charge for only a few months, Morocco continue to build on the foundation laid by Walid Regragui, who guided the team to a historic semi-final appearance at the 2022 World Cup.
Morocco will face co-hosts Canada in the Round of 16 on Saturday.
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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