"The CAF praises the achievement of the 'Atlas Lions'."

The official website of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) praised the new achievement of the Moroccan national team, after securing a spot in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, following their thrilling victory over the Dutch team in a penalty shootout (3-2), after the original and extra time ended in a draw (1-1), in a match held at the Monterrey Stadium in Mexico.

The CAF report confirmed that the "Atlas Lions" experienced another dramatic World Cup night, as goalkeeper Yassine Bounou maintained his brilliance in major matches, leading the team to overcome the hurdle of the Netherlands in a match decided by small details in the penalty shootout.

The Dutch team was the first to score in the 72nd minute through Cody Gakpo, who took advantage of a mix-up in the Moroccan defense. However, the national players refused to give up and managed to equalize in stoppage time through Ismail Diop, who rose to meet a cross from Shams Eddine Talbi and headed it into the net with a powerful shot.

After both teams failed to change the score during extra time, they resorted to penalties, where Morocco scored through Sofiane Rahimi, Shams Eddine Talbi, and Ismail Sabari, while Nail Al-Ainawi and Achraf Hakimi missed their attempts. On the other hand, the Dutch team failed to convert three penalties, as Bounou saved a shot from Kryscencio Samerville, allowing Sabari the chance to score the decisive penalty and gift Morocco qualification.

The report clarified that the national team will face Canada in the next round, after the latter's victory over South Africa with a score of 1-0, indicating that this victory confirms Morocco's continued presence as one of the strongest African teams on the global stage.

The CAF website noted that the match started with tactical caution from both sides, before the Moroccan team gradually imposed its style and became the more dangerous side during long periods of the match.

According to the report, Achraf Hakimi was one of the key players in Morocco's attacking play, consistently posing a threat from the right side, whether through his penetrations or set pieces.

The first clear opportunity for Morocco came in the 18th minute when Nail Al-Ainawi rose to meet a corner taken by Hakimi, but Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen excelled in clearing it, before intervening again against a powerful shot from the Moroccan team captain.

In contrast, the Dutch team did not find enough space to create many chances, except for a try from Mickey van de Ven before the end of the first half, which Bounou brilliantly saved to keep his net clean.