Morocco caused a shock at the World Cup on Tuesday by knocking out Spain – but their last-16 win did not come as a surprise to Sofiane Boufal.
The north African side triumphed in a penalty shootout after holding Spain to a 0-0 stalemate over 120 minutes. Luis Enrique’s side failed to net a single spot kick, as goalkeeper Yassine Bounou pulled off two saves to help Morocco win the shootout 3-0.
Morocco will face Portugal in the quarter-finals after Goncalo Ramos’ hat-trick helped Fernando Santos’ team thrash Switzerland 6-1 on Tuesday night. They are just the fourth African side to reach the last eight of a World Cup, following Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.
Therefore, the result is a historic one for Morocco, but former Southampton winger Boufal was always confident it was going to come. Back in September, he spoke about his ambitions for the tournament in Qatar, predicting exactly what has come to pass.
“You’re going to think I’m a crazy person,” Boufal said in a video shared on Twitter. “But if we get past the group stage, and we will Inshallah (god willing), we are going to the quarter-finals, we will be the surprise. We will do what Ghana did in 2010.”
Morocco finished top of Group F after drawing 0-0 with Croatia, beating Belgium 2-1 and Canada 2-1. Their achievements are all the more remarkable given manager Walid Regragui only took charge of the team in August.
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"In football, this is the best day of my life," Boufal said after beating Spain. "Today, we made history. We can see the happiness of the people, of our family. Today is amazing, I can't describe it to be honest, the emotion. Today is historic."
He added: "The Morocco fans are the best in this tournament. They give us so much strength. They are our 12th man.”
Morocco’s win over Spain ensured they have already surpassed their previous best-ever finish in reaching the round of 16 at Mexico 1986. Their win sparked wild celebrations all over the world, with London among the cities lit up by partying Morocco fans.
"Right now is a special moment for all Africa, for all the Arab countries, for all the Muslims around this world," Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi said. "You try to make them happy, try to make ourselves happy. And I think it goes quite well."
Spain dominated possession but managed just one shot on Morocco’s goal during the 120 minutes. Enrique's future has been plunged into doubt, with La Roja's boss telling reporters he will discuss his long-term future next week.
"Next week, we will speak and discuss about my future. Now, it’s not the right moment," Enrique said. "I’m the one responsible."
