RABAT: Brahim Diaz scored his fourth goal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as hosts Morocco edged Tanzania 1-0 in a tense Round-of-16 clash in Rabat on Sunday to book a place in the quarter-finals.
Morocco dominated possession but struggled to convert their control into clear chances, while Tanzania threatened on the break. The breakthrough came in the 64th minute when captain Achraf Hakimi slipped the ball to Diaz on the right of the penalty area. The Real Madrid playmaker drove to the byline and surprised the defence by firing in from a tight angle when a cross seemed likely.
The hosts missed several opportunities to add to their lead and were relieved that Tanzania were equally wasteful, with Simon Msuva and Feisal Salum failing to capitalise on clear openings while the match was goalless.
It was a below-par display from Morocco, who have yet to hit top form at the tournament, but the narrow win keeps their campaign alive. They will face the winners of Sunday’s second fixture between South Africa and Cameroon in the last eight.
“The competition is hotting up and we faced our toughest opponent in this Tanzania team,” Diaz said. “Not everything worked, but fortunately we managed to secure our qualification. Now we go back to work to be fully ready for the quarter-finals.”
