MONTERREY, Mexico — If you thought the Netherlands had finally shaken off their penalty shootout demons, think again. In a pulsating Round of 32 clash at Estadio BBVA, the Oranje were eliminated by Morocco 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, extending a curse that has now haunted Dutch football across three consecutive World Cups.
Cody Gakpo’s 72nd-minute strike seemed destined to send the Netherlands through. The Liverpool forward, who has been the team’s talisman throughout this tournament, burst into tears after slotting home Crysencio Summerville’s cutback — a goal that felt like redemption for a Dutch side that had struggled to impose itself all evening. But football, as we know too well in this part of the world, has a cruel sense of timing.
Issa Diop, the Morocco centre-back, rose highest in the 91st minute to meet Chemsdine Talbi’s floated cross, powering a header past Bart Verbruggen that sent the Moroccan fans into absolute delirium. It was Morocco’s second-latest World Cup goal on record, and it transformed the entire narrative of the night.
The penalty shootout that followed was a masterclass in chaos. Five kicks were missed across the ten attempts. Teun Koopmeiners scored first for the Dutch, but Justin Kluivert — son of the legendary Patrick — rattled the post, Quinten Timber fired wide, and Summerville saw his effort saved by Yassine Bounou. For Morocco, Neil El Aynaoui hit the bar and Achraf Hakimi struck the post when he could have won it in the fourth round. It fell to Ismael Saibari, Morocco’s group-stage hero, to convert the decisive kick and send the Atlas Lions into the Round of 16.
The statistics tell a brutal story for the Dutch. Ronald Koeman’s decision to switch to a back five — the first time the Netherlands have started with three centre-backs since March 2024 — backfired spectacularly. The Oranje managed just six shots across 120 minutes, producing a meagre 0.23 expected goals. Morocco, by contrast, generated 1.40 xG from 11 attempts and created five Opta-defined big chances. Neil El Aynaoui completed 134 passes, the second-most by any player in a single match at this tournament.
For Singaporean football fans who have followed the Dutch game closely — and there are many, given the Eredivisie’s popularity on our screens — this result carries a particular sting. The Netherlands have now been eliminated on penalties in three straight World Cup appearances: the 2014 semi-final against Argentina, the 2022 quarter-final against Argentina, and now this. It is a psychological scar that deepens with each tournament.
Morocco, meanwhile, march on. They will face co-hosts Canada in Houston on July 4, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. For a nation that captured hearts by reaching the semi-finals in 2022, this victory confirms that Moroccan football is no flash in the pan. With Bounou still commanding the goal, Hakimi rampaging down the right, and Saibari providing the creative spark, the Atlas Lions are a genuine threat to anyone left in this tournament.
The “Dutch DNA Derby” — so named because more than half of Morocco’s squad was born or trained in the Netherlands — ended with the students beating the masters. And for the Oranje, the long, painful wait for a first World Cup title continues.
