January 04, (THEWILL) — Morocco advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals after defeating Tanzania 1-0 at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat.
Brahim Diaz, currently on loan at AC Milan, scored the decisive goal to keep the host nation’s tournament ambitions alive.
The opening period saw Morocco dominate possession, though Ismael Saibari had an early header disallowed for offside after just 15 minutes.
Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi both missed opportunities before the interval, failing to convert promising chances for the hosts.
The second half brought increased urgency from both teams.
El Kaabi directed Achraf Hakimi’s delivery wide from close range, whilst Tanzania responded immediately through Feisal Salum, who fired over the crossbar after goalkeeper Yassine Bounou parried Mohamed Hussein’s powerful shot.
Diaz broke the deadlock in the 64th minute when his effort from a narrow angle slipped beneath Tanzania goalkeeper Hussein Masalanga.
The strike marked his fourth goal of the competition and proved sufficient to settle the contest.
Tanzania were competing in its first-ever knockout match at the AFCON.
Morocco will now prepare for their quarter-final fixture, with their hopes of continental success remaining intact following this hard-fought victory.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
