Morocco beat the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties on Monday to reach the World Cup last 16 after their Round of 32 tie ended 1-1 following extra time, setting up a ​meeting with co-hosts Canada.

Ismael Saibari converted the winning spot kick after Yassine Bounou saved Crysencio ‌Summerville’s penalty, sending Morocco through after a dramatic contest in which they had forced extra time with a stoppage-time equaliser.

Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui and Dutch substitute Justin Kluivert missed their attempts before Bart Verbruggen appeared to save Soufiane Rahimi’s effort, only for the ​ball to squirm underneath him and trickle over the line.

Quinten Timber then put the ball wide ​with the Dutch side’s fourth kick, Achraf Hakimi struck the post with the chance to ⁠seal victory before Saibari kept his nerve to send Morocco through.

The shootout capped a gripping encounter in Monterrey ​that swung repeatedly in both teams’ favour, with Cody Gakpo’s emotional second-half opener cancelled out by Issa Diop’s stoppage-time ​header before neither team could find a winner in extra time.

Morocco fashioned the better chances before the break, with goalkeeper Verbruggen producing a series of outstanding saves to deny Ayoub Bouaddi’s close-range header and Neil El Aynaoui’s powerful effort.

At the other end, Bounou ​was finally called into action to parry Micky van de Ven’s long-range strike.

Hakimi rattled the crossbar and forced ​another save from Verbruggen as the Dutch struggled to contain the full back’s runs from deep before Ronald Koeman’s introduction of ‌Wout ⁠Weghorst gave his side a much-needed focal point in attack.

Emotional opener

The substitute’s impact was immediate as he won a flick-on that released Summerville, whose persistence created the opening for Gakpo to sweep a first-time finish beyond Bounou in the 72nd minute.

Playing days after he and his partner lost their unborn son during pregnancy, Gakpo broke down in ​tears as teammates rushed ​to embrace him.

The Netherlands ⁠looked increasingly comfortable, with captain Virgil van Dijk producing a crucial intervention to deny Saibari as Morocco threw numbers forward in search of an equaliser.

But just as the ​Dutch appeared set to see out the victory, substitute Chemsdine Talbi delivered a pinpoint ​cross from the ⁠left and Diop rose above Van Dijk to power a stoppage-time header beyond Verbruggen, sending the match into extra time.

Momentum swung from end to end, with the Netherlands threatening on the counter as Morocco chased the game, but could ⁠not make ​their pressure count in open play.

Having weathered Gakpo’s emotional opener and ​survived Hakimi’s missed chance to settle the shootout, Morocco held their nerve when it mattered most to keep their World Cup dream alive ​and book a date with Canada in Houston on Saturday.