Morocco Faces Spain in Olympic Soccer Semi-Final Rematch of World Cup Upset

For the first time in its history, Morocco had qualified, on December 6, 2022, for the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, by eliminating Spain on penalties (0/0 3 t.a.b to 0). Two years after the 2022 World Cup, the Moroccan and Spanish players will face each other again on Monday, August 5 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille as part of the semi-final of the Olympic football tournament. A decisive match that could end in penalty shootouts. A few hours before the match, the coach of the Spanish national men’s football team, Santi Denia, seems to fear that Morocco will win. "Training for penalties, I know it’s a debate, I think it’s very difficult. [...] All those who have already taken a penalty know what it’s like to find themselves in a semi-final or final. You have to be psychologically ready to take a penalty. It’s more psychological than physical," he said at a press conference on Sunday.

Santi Denia also expressed his gratitude to Ilias Akhomach, whom he had previously coached in the Spanish youth teams. "We have immense gratitude for him. (...) He has been with us since the U15s, I’ve been with him since the U15s, he was captain of the U19s with me, he came with the U21s. I have a special affection for him," he said. Born on April 16, 2004 in Els Hostalets de Pierola (Barcelona) to Moroccan parents, the Hispano-Moroccan midfielder of Villarreal has defended the jersey of La Roja in the youth teams from the U16s to the Espoirs, of which he was captain (33 caps in total in 4 categories: U-16, U-18, U-19 and U-21), before definitively turning his back on Spain to join the den of the Atlas Cubs (U-23) in November 2023.

Will Spain take its revenge on Morocco? The outcome of the match scheduled for this Monday, August 5 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille will determine this.