Tuesday, Morocco became the first Arab country to reach the World Cup quarter-finals after beating Spain in a dramatic penalty-kick shootout. This came two weeks after the start of the Qatar World Cup 2022.

The World Cup kicked off in Qatar on Sunday, Nov. 20.

Earlier, Morocco coach Walid Regragui urged his team to believe they can defeat powerhouse Spain as they attempt to reach a first World Cup quarter-final, AFP reported.

The north African side are in the last 16 for only the second time after advancing as winners of Group F ahead of 2018 runners-up Croatia, having defeated Belgium and Canada in Qatar.

"It will be a very testing game for us. We're coming up against one of the best footballing nations in the world. I think they're one of the favorites to reach the final," Regragui said on Monday.

"That said, we've also got things up our sleeve. We've had one extra rest day compared to them and we're going to try and pull a surprise out of the bag.

"If we're able to send Spain packing I think this will be a wonderful surprise not only for us but for our country."