HOUSTON – When Morocco advanced to the Round of 32 in the FIFA World Cup 2026, Madiha Bekkali knew she wanted her son to see them play in person and bought tickets to the game in Guadalajara, Mexico, against the Netherlands.
Friends of hers told her not to waste her money and to wait until Morocco reached the Round of 16 in Houston, but she didn’t want to take that risk, which turned out to be one of the best decisions she could have made.
Not only did Morocco beat the Netherlands in a penalty shootout, but in doing so, they became the first African team to beat the Netherlands in a FIFA World Cup match. A memory that she and Ryan will never forget.
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Nick Mantas is an award-winning sports reporter who joined the KPRC 2 Sports Team in September of 2025, coming from channel 2's sister station, KSAT in San Antonio. Before reporting on the San Antonio Spurs for two years, he spent three years in Lansing, Michigan, and one year in Abilene, Texas. He's Greek & a native of Brookline, Massachusetts.