Maybe Morocco are about to do it all again. They are into the last 16 after a match that lasted almost three hours, winning a strange and error-strewn shootout to tee up a meeting with Canada. Ismael Saibari converted the winning penalty after his team and the Netherlands had fluffed their lines repeatedly. Perhaps it was fitting that, after the teams had missed twice apiece, the goalkeeper Yassine Bounou made the save that allowed Saibari his moment. He stood tall to bat away Crysencio Summerville’s shot, recalling his two saves in the win against Spain at Qatar 2022.Morocco had deserved to win against a negative Netherlands, even if they only earned extra time when the centre-back Issa Diop headed in. One wonders how Cody Gakpo, playing despite the announcement he and his partner had lost their unborn son, could process the turnaround. He seemed to have scored the winner with a hammered finish in the 72nd minute, the emotions taking hold afterwards. Gakpo was in tears after scoring, pointing to the sky and being comforted by Denzel Dumfries. Football can be intensely cruel but some things hold infinitely greater importance.Gakpo slumps to the turf after scoring. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesThe one certainty beforehand was that one of these teams, positioned in the tier below this summer’s clutch of favourites, would depart before their time. It had been tempting to expect fireworks given the attacking intent both had shown in the group stage but knockout football has a habit of breeding a different beast.Ronald Koeman wanted his side to be a leaner, meaner animal. He had spoken about being compact and denying space to opponents whose patterns can twist the blood. His solution was a departure from 4-3-3, selecting three centre-backs and sacrificing the midfielder Tijjani Reijnders. It had the early effect of making Morocco seek quick balls over the top that bore little fruit.Not that the majority in the stands, overlooked by the dramatic peaks of Cerro de la Silla, were disheartened. The watching locals, a collage of green Mexico shirts among clumps of orange and red, had seemingly decided their allegiance. On this day in 2014 their national team had lost to the Netherlands in the last 16, a deeply contested late tumble by Arjen Robben winning the decisive spot kick. “No, it wasn’t a penalty and you know it!” read one placard and every early Dutch touch was booed.After 20 minutes of shadow boxing came some genuine action. It was Bart Verbruggen who twice performed the spectacular, reacting to parry Neil El Aynaoui’s near-post header and, moments later, turning over a piledriver from Achraf Hakimi. The temperature at kick-off had been 31C, alleviated by strong gusts, and Morocco looked closest to brewing a storm.Morocco players set off after Saibari at the conclusion of the shootout. Photograph: Sofia Yaker/APThere had been an irritable undercurrent from the start, Jan Paul van Hecke venting at Saibari after feeling he had been kicked in the face. Soon after Verbruggen’s interventions Van Hecke was in the wars again, this time through a charge from Azzedine Ounahi. The needle reflected the stakes and perhaps the rivalry. There are more than 430,000 people of Moroccan origin in the Netherlands. Three Dutch-born players, including the left-back Noussair Mazraoui, were in Morocco’s squad; the ties are far-reaching and complex.By the 38th minute Van Hecke was down for a third time, scalp spattered with blood after taking a blow from Mazraoui. He was cleaned up but the patchy nature of proceedings continued. Before the interval Bounou was finally worked when Micky van de Ven was flexed his left foot, tipping the trademark long-range blast over. Ounahi then shot high after Van Hecke had stalled a fast counter and a Hakimi free-kick fizzed just beyond Saibari. This bore the knife-edge feel of a tie going the distance.Morocco attempted to dispel that notion by re-emerging at speed, the 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi shooting over and Hakimi cracking the bar after a smart underlapping run. Hakimi was probably offside but his timing was perfect when breaking through in the 55th minute, a crunching Van de Ven tackle saving the Netherlands.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionGakpo and Summerville had struggled to make ground out wide. It meant Brian Brobbey, an unlikely star of the opening round, had barely been given a sniff. The scares were coming at the other end, Verbruggen having to divert one of several whipped Hakimi corners behind.By the second mid-half interruption, play had ground to walking place. Upon the resumption the Netherlands, who had been firmly second best, showed route one can still cure all manner of ills. It was the old battering ram Wout Weghorst, freshly deployed, who flicked on a Verbruggen punt and sent Summerville scampering through. Although falling under the attention of two defenders he managed to hook the ball left to Gakpo, who rammed in emphatically and was mobbed by every member of the Dutch squad.But Morocco were not here to immerse themselves in the moment. They appeared to have lost steam but deserved Diop’s equaliser, a flashed header from an exquisite cross by the recently introduced Chemsdine Talbi. Extra time had seemed likely for much of the night, but not in such dramatic circumstances.It began with Morocco reasserting their earlier dominance. Verbruggen made the save of the night, somehow denying Soufiane Rahimi with a combination of knee and hand, but it was the only significant action of circumspect additional period. Saibari was left to seal it from the spot.Ismael Saibari profile