Morocco defeated Spain 3-1 on Penalties on Tuesday, December 6, to reach the quarter finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Atlas Lions are not new to the World Cup. This is their sixth appearance since 1970 though they are in the quarter finals for the first time in 2022. Morocco is the only African country with great history at the World Cup. Times Sport takes a look at seven unique things to their name in the history of the competition. Morocco holds joint record with Nigeria for Africa's biggest ever win at the world cup. The North Africans beat Scotland 3-0 on June 23, 1998, in the last Group A match of France 98 to equal Nigeria's 3-0 win over Bulgaria in US 94. The First African country to reach the second round of the World Cup was Morocco, in Mexico 1986. The Atlas Lions drew with Poland and England before whipping Portugal 3-1 to progress to the round of 16 in that tournament. Moroccan midfielder Youssef Chippo was the first African player to score an own goal at the world cup which was in a 2-2 draw with Norway on June 10, 1998. Morocco is the first African country to concede just one goal in their first four games at the World Cup. In the ongoing tournament in Qatar, they drew goalless with Croatia, beat Belgium 2-0, defeated Canada 2-1 and played goalless with Spain in regulation time. Walid Regragui of Morocco became the first African coach to reach the quarter finals of the world Cup with an African team. The previous ones were all achieved by foreign expatriate coaches. There is Valery Nepomnyashchy (Russia) with Cameroon in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Bruno Metsu (France) with Senegal in the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea. Milovan Rajevac (Serbia) with Ghana in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Morocco is the first African country to progress to the quarter finals of the World Cup through penalties. The previous three were all achieved either within 90 or 120 minutes. Morocco is the only African country to ever top a World Cup Group. (Mexico 1986 and Qatar 2022).
![Hakimi, right, is embraced by his mother at the end of the World Cup match between Belgium and Morocco [Fadel Senna / AFP]](https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2022/12/07/thumbs/1200x700/7788.jpg "Hakimi, right, is embraced by his mother at the end of the World Cup match between Belgium and Morocco [Fadel Senna / AFP]")
