BOUNOU HERO, MOROCCO KEEP ALIVE DREAM

Goalkeeper, who has conceded only once in four matches, is shootout king as team advances to quarterfinals for first time

THERE is always plenty of context to a Morocco-Spain football game. From the Islamic conquest of Spain that was launched from the shores of north Africa in the 8th century, to the more recent Spanish occupation to the last time these sides faced off at the World Cup, four years ago, a match that ended in controversy with VAR rearing its ugly head. Tens of thousands of Moroccans from all over the world thronged the Education City Stadium in Doha to witness the latest chapter. They brought all the colour and the noise on a cool Tuesday night. Despite their best efforts, though, The Battle for Andalusia ended in a stalemate. In open play, that is. After 120 minutes of football there was nothing to separate the two sides. But this is, of course, the knockout round of a World Cup and there are no draws. Having kept their goals unbreached through open play it was now down to Unai Simon and Yassine Bounou (Bono) to step to the plate and see it through.