Morocco’s players set off in pursuit of Ismael Saibari and, once they had caught up, lost one another in a pile of exhilarated bodies. Maybe they are about to do it all again and make a heavy dent in the latter stages of a World Cup. This was certainly a huge hurdle cleared and there were echoes of 2022 when Yassine Bounou, hero against Spain back then, repelled the Netherlands’ fifth penalty. Crysencio Summerville had struck it straight at him, the latest error in a strange and wobbly shootout; Saibari showed rare mental clarity to accept the gift.
Earlier on another bundle had engulfed Cody Gakpo. Football is a vessel for myriad thoughts and feelings so it was an intensely affecting moment when, after he had rammed his team into a 72nd-minute lead, the entire Dutch squad piled on to the pitch in joy. More than that, they had done so in support. Gakpo had elected to play despite the announcement that he and his partner had tragically lost their unborn son. He was tearful upon making his way back to the centre circle, pointing to the sky and being comforted by his teammate Denzel Dumfries.
