AGADIR, Morocco (AP) - Quincy Promes scored one goal and set up another as the 10-man Netherlands beat Morocco 2-1 in a friendly Wednesday.
The Spartak Moscow winger opened the scoring in the 22nd and crossed for Vincent Janssen, who struggled to find the net throughout his first season at Tottenham, to score a morale-boosting goal in the 68th.
Amsterdam-born Mbark Boussoufa cut the lead from a 72nd-minute free kick after 17-year-old defender Matthijs de Ligt had been sent off for bringing down Walid Azarou.
With new Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat still leading Turkish club Fenerbahce and yet to join the national team, it was the second match in charge for caretaker coach Fred Grim.
If Advocaat watched the match on television, he will have seen there is plenty to do to get the Netherlands in shape to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia. The Dutch currently are fourth in Group A, with only the winner guaranteed a World Cup berth.
Chelsea defender Nathan Ake made his debut for the Netherlands, while midfielder Wesley Sneijder came on as a second-half substitute for his 129th cap, one short of Dutch record international Edwin van der Sar.
Sneijder said the victory was the most important aspect in a disjointed performance.
“It’s important that you win and that always gives confidence,” Sneijder said.
The Netherlands faces Ivory Coast on Sunday in Rotterdam and plays Luxembourg on June 9 in a World Cup qualifier.
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