Winning penalty shootout, Morocco becomes first Arab nation to make it to the last eight of international soccer tournament
AL RAYYAN, Qatar — Morocco became the first Arab nation to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals, beating Spain 3-0 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday.
Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets missed their penalties for Spain, with Sarabia hitting the post and Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou stopping the other two.
The teams drew 0-0 in regulation and extra time.
Morocco has been the biggest surprise of the tournament and will next face either Portugal or Switzerland.
As the Moroccan team gathered on the field to celebrate, players raised aloft a Palestinian flag alongside several Moroccan ones, the latest sign of solidarity with the Palestinians at the first World Cup held in the Middle East.
The move came despite Morocco’s increasingly close relations with Israel after signing the Abraham Accords that normalized ties.
FIFA regulations prohibit the display of banners, flags and fliers that are deemed to be “political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature.” In the past, soccer’s governing bodies have issued fines for displays of the Palestinian flag inside stadiums.
Morocco’s players also displayed the Palestinian flag after the team’s win against Canada during the group stage last week.
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