It took an extraordinary gesture to enter the history of Moroccan football, and Achraf Hakimi did it. The Paris Saint-Germain right-back finished the penalty shootout in the best possible way with a very well hidden and perfectly executed panenka to allow Morocco to eliminate Spain in the round of 16, and qualify for the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time in its history.
Hakimi, facing his adopted nation where he grew up, near Madrid, appeared as the Moroccans’ fourth striker. The Atlas Lions were then leading 2-0 in this penalty session, thanks to two saves from Yassine Bounou on Soler and Busquets and a post from Sarabia. If the right defender and star of Morocco transformed his shot on goal, the historic qualification for the quarter-finals was validated. After five quick steps, Hakimi feinted the hard shot to go smoothly under the ball. A delicious panenka, which came to die in the middle of the goals of Unaï Simon, the goalkeeper of La Roja already on the ground, left on his right side…
A wink for Mbappé
And what could be better than the celebration that goes with it, a completely offbeat penguin dance as all his teammates and coach Walid Regragui threw themselves at him. His PSG friend Kylian Mbappé didn’t miss a drop of his panenka, as his tweet in honor of his teammate shows. A dream for the PSG side, but a nightmare for his club partners. Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler, the first two Spanish shooters, put La Roja in immense difficulty from the start of the session, missing their two shots on goal. The first shot at the post while the second saw his shot stopped by a fantastic Bounou. An absolutely incredible penalty shoot-out.