Morocco fans partied all over the globe on Tuesday night after they reached the last eight of the World Cup - eliminating titans Spain in the process.
The two sides met at the round of 16 stage and played out a hard-fought 0-0 draw over the course of 120 minutes, with both nations having plenty of chances that could have seen them win the game in either normal or extra time. But neither could take those opportunities and the dreaded shootout awaited them.
It couldn't have gone much worse for La Roja, with Luis Enrique's men missing all three of their spot-kicks before Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi stepped up to score the winning penalty with a remarkable 'Panenka', chipped delicately down the middle to spark wild celebrations from the Moroccan faithful inside the Education City stadium.
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@CorneliusRacing/Twitter)However, it wasn't just inside the ground where Morocco fans had gone wild, with supporters far and wide in different corners of the planet all taking to the streets to celebrate the victory. Fans in the host nation carried their celebrations from the stadium to a nearby metro station soon after the full-time whistle.
Back in Morocco, the streets were alive with fans parading through the streets holding sparklers and flares as roads came to a grinding halt due to the sheer volume of supporters out in public.
London was no exception, with both Edgware Road and Piccadilly Circus flooded with buoyant Morocco fans setting off flares while draped in their nation's flag. Oxford Street boasted similar scenes, with London's main shopping street the host for plenty of chanting and partying.
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@havilliarhys/Twitter)Image:
@havilliarhys/Twitter)Thousands of miles away in Gaza, hundred of Palestinian football fans expressed their delight for Morocco who will now face Portugal in the last eight in a clash they will certainly fancy themselves to win.
In Barcelona, many streets were lit rid by the flares of fans revelling in the win, as Spain's national team boss Luis Enrique appeared downbeat while discussing his future at the helm of La Roja.
"We completely dominated the match. It's a shame it went that way. It’s my responsibility. I picked the first three penalty-takers, and then they could decide themselves.
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@relevo/Twitter)"But the first three were my decision, and I would've done the same thing again. The only thing I wished I could do was to take Bounou out and put another goalkeeper in there."
It was a contrasting story from Morocco boss Walid Regragui, who was bang on in his assessment as he explained: "We fought and made the Moroccan people happy, we made history and Morocco deserve it, Moroccan people made us united on the pitch."
His sentiments were echoed by defender Jawad Yamiq, who added: "We honoured the Arab and African football, coach Regragui gave us the confidence that we needed in this game, a big boost in morale.
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@QudsNen/Twitter)"We knew that Spain depend on their ball possession and we played with that in mind. They didn't impose any danger."
Morocco have become the first African nation to reach the last eight of the World Cup since Ghana 12 years ago in South Africa, while only Senegal in 2002 and Cameroon in 1990 have ever also done so previously.
