…Sets up Quarterfinal against Winner of South Africa Versus Cameroon on January 9.
Hosts, Atlas Lions of Morocco on Sunday night in Rabat dimmed the Taifa Stars of Tanzania before a huge capacity of 69,500 fans by a lone goal in a battle of grit.
Taifa is a Swahili word for Nation and Taifa Stars mean the Stars of the Tanzanian nation who fought gallantly but lost to experience of the only African country to have ever played in a semifinal at the world cup under the present Manager fondly called BALD Man.
26 year old new talisman that plays for Real Madrid of Spain, Brahim Diaz with a great football sense, stylishly scored the goal in the 64th minute from a pass sent by Achraf Hakim and as everyone including the Tanzanian players thought he would pass the ball sent it into the net with the goalkeeper caught napping.
Diaz scored 7 goals in the build up to AFCON finals and scored in every of the four matches Morocco played at AFCON 25. Diaz scored against Zambia, Mali, Comoros and now Tanzania.
Cover photo is number 10 shirted Brahim Diaz of Morocco.
Morocco got a goal in the 15th minute through Ismael Saibari but it was ruled offside.
To get to the round of 16 games, Tanzania lost to Nigeria 1-2; played 1-1 with Uganda and drew 1-1 with Tunisia. Morocco beat Comoros 2-0; drew 1-1 with Mali and drubbed Zambia 3-0.
Both countries met eight times with Morocco winning seven times and Tanzania once, 20 goals were scored and Morocco supplied 15 goals. They both met thrice at AFCON level and Morocco won all the three meetings. The only game won by Tanzania was won by Taifa Stars 3-1 on 24th March 2013. The biggest win was an AFCON match Morocco won 3-0 on 17th January 2024.
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Look at the last four meetings Morocco won 2-0 on 21st November 2023 in a world cup qualifier; won 3-0 on 17th January 2024 in an AFCON match; won again 2-0 in the world cup qualifier of 25th March 2025 and piped Tanzania 1-0 in their last AFCON duel of 22nd August 2025.
Tanzania ranked 112 in the world was getting to the last 16 for the first time in five appearances but Morocco in 20 appearances was champions in 1976 won silver once got no bronze but placed 4th twice.
Morocco will now meet the winner of the South Africa versus Cameroon R16 match in the quarterfinals on Friday 9th January.
The star match tonight at 8pm also in the round of 16 between South Africa and Cameroon will surely be tough.
Here other fixtures for the round of 16 matches.
1. Egypt vs Benin at 5pm on Monday Jan 5.
2. Nigeria vs Mozambique on Monday Jan 5.
3. Algeria vs DR Congo at 5pm on Tuesday Jan 6.
4. CIV vs BFA at 8pm on Tuesday Jan 6.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
#AFCON25 #CAF #FRMF #FMF #SAFA
#FEBEFOOT #TFF#FECAFOOT #SFA
#FAFA #EFA #NFF.
