Morocco had a strange game plan on the route to the quarter-finals and it worked. They told Spain it is okay they can have the ball all the time except they are not going to be allowed to score.
It worked for 120 minutes and after overtime, it was time for a penalty shootout and Morocco had exactly the same strategy. Spain was not allowed to put anything into the Morocco net. Case closed. I mean goal closed.
And then Morocco shooters went to work with a final shot from Achraf Hakimi with the tricky panenka chip over the goalie. Achraf Hakimi is one of the most unique players in football.
He is a left back who often plays like a forward. Presently he is with PSG in France but all his career playing in Italy he has been known as a defender who gets more assists than middle fielders.
Hakimi pretty much is the inventor of the new defensive system of many football teams playing back three of back four where the left back and right back play as wingers to bring the ball forward and cross it into the box for the strikers. Today he took his team to the quarters of the World Cup.
I really hate the panenka chip for penalties and I never watch it with my team Chelsea having one of the best in that type of shooting. The Italian player Jorginho uses those panenka shots all the time for Chelsea and never misses, but it is like a joke because you have to score by tricking the goalkeeper. I always wonder why they buy the tricks.
Of course, my main guy Hakim Ziyech did his part for Morocco and when he scored the second goal with Spain still having zero goals, Morocco knew that one more goal with Spain having two kicks and zero goals and the game is over.
Poor Spain didn’t even need to take their last shots. They were hanging out to dry. Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bouno should be the man of the match (MOTM) and he should be very proud of his work and his team. The continent is still alive at the World Cup and next for Morocco is either Portugal or Switzerland. Bring it on.
Adongo Ogony is a Kenyan Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
