Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz scored the decisive goal as Morocco edged Tanzania 1-0 to secure a place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Rabat on Sunday.
Diaz maintained his goal-a-game run at the tournament, finding the net for the fourth consecutive AFCON match to become the first Moroccan player to achieve the feat. His 64th-minute strike proved enough after the hosts dominated large spells of the contest but struggled to convert their chances.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi provided the assist for the winner, marking his first start of the tournament after previously featuring off the bench against Zambia. Hakimi had recently returned from an ankle injury sustained in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich.
Morocco extended their unbeaten run in competitive and friendly matches to 23 games, with their last defeat coming against South Africa at the 2024 AFCON.
Despite enjoying home advantage and the backing of nearly 70,000 supporters, Morocco were initially threatened when Tanzania created the first chance of the match, with Saimon Msuva failing to connect properly with a Selemani Mwalimu cross in the third minute.
The hosts thought they had taken the lead after 15 minutes when Ismael Saibari headed in Abdessamad Ezzalzouli’s free-kick, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Morocco continued to press, with Ayoub El Kaabi and Diaz both going close before the break, but the first half ended scoreless.
After the restart, Moroccan pressure intensified. Ezzalzouli and El Kaabi missed early chances, while Tanzania’s Feisal ‘Fei Toto’ Salum wasted a rare opening by firing over with only goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to beat. Hakimi then struck the crossbar from a free-kick shortly before the breakthrough.
The winning goal came when Hakimi played in Diaz, who finished from close range at the near post to seal victory.
Morocco will face either South Africa or Cameroon, who meet later on Sunday at another Rabat venue, in the quarter-finals on Friday.
