Tag: morocco

[ad_1] When Achraf Hakimi stepped up to take the decisive penalty against Spain in a FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash on Tuesday night, he was not only bearing the hopes of a country but the weight of his past too. For Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1998 to Moroccan parents.  He even joined joined Real Madrid's youth setup in 2006 from Colonia Ofigevi, at the age of eight. In the  early part of his career he played for Spanish football giants Real Madrid. But he chose to represent Morocco at the international level right from the U-20 level."My mother cleaned houses and my father was a street vendor. We come from a modest family that struggled to earn a living. Today I fight every day for them. They sacrificed themselves for me,” he had told Bund...

[ad_1] Continuing their fairytale run in the FIFA World Cup 2022, Morocco secured a historic victory over Spain in the penalty shootout. Neither of the two teams could be separated in normal time or extra time, with the game remaining goalless. Into the penalty shootout, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made three saves to help his team secure a 3-0 win. While Bounou did a perfect job as the goalkeeper, Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi sealed his team's progression with a 'panenka', the video of which has gone viral on social media.Scoring a penalty is a game of confidence. Whichever player shows more confidence in those moments, goes on to win the battle. But, to score a panenka at that moment, is even more difficult. Hakimi, with the hopes of the entire Morocco on his shoulders, did s...