NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The World Cup provided a second miraculous moment on Monday night.
The Netherlands, favorites to win the tournament after years of making long runs, took the lead late in the match when Cody Gakpo took control of a loose ball in the box and sent it into the back of the net. But the lead did not last long, as Moroccan Issa Diop headed one past the Dutch goalkeeper in stoppage time.
ZERO BS. ONLY DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Ismael Saibari of Morocco reacts after scoring the winning penalty during the World Cup round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco in Guadeloupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, on June 29, 2026. (Ricardo Mazalán/Associated Press)
Morocco and Holland went to penalties. Morocco’s Ismael Saibari scored the winning penalty kick to give Morocco the 3-2 victory in the stage, advancing the team to the round of 16.
“We know that when we do everything on the field, it is God who also gives us something back,” Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said after the match. “We give all the energy we have on the field. Rahimi’s goal could not have been a goal, but fortunately it went in.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Dutch players react after the World Cup round of 32 match against Morocco in Guadeloupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, on June 29, 2026. (Ricardo Mazalán/AP)
The Dutch had reached at least the round of 16 in the last 11 World Cups, including a quarterfinal appearance in 2022 in Qatar. It was the same year that Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
Morocco will play Canada in the round of 16 in Houston on Saturday. Morocco defeated Canada 2-1 in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
“I think Morocco has now earned everyone’s respect,” Ouahbi said. “I saw (Holland’s style of play) as a form of respect.”
It was the last and surprising knockout of the World Cup.
The Moroccan team celebrates after winning on penalty kicks in the World Cup round of 32 match against the Netherlands in Guadeloupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, on June 29, 2026. (Sofía Yaker/AP Photo)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
Paraguay defeated Germany after a controversial decision to reverse a German goal late in the match.
