Host Morocco lost their victory against Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday evening and therefore missed out on an early place in the round of 16.
Without star player Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain, who is still not fit after his ankle injury from the Champions League duel with Bayern Munich in November, the co-favorites did not get beyond a 1-1 (1-0) draw against Mali in Rabat. Morocco continues to lead the table in Group A with four points.
In front of France’s captain Kylian Mbappé, who was wearing a jersey of his friend Hakimi in the stands, Brahim Diaz from Real Madrid (45th + 5) gave the 2022 World Cup fourth place team the lead with a hand penalty. In a hard-fought duel, Mali also equalized from the spot through Lassine Sinayoko (64′).
Two Bundesliga player substituted
For Morocco, Bundesliga professionals Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart) and Eliesse Ben Seghir (Leverkusen) came on as substitutes in the final phase at the Stade Prince-Moulay-Abdellah. Despite a significant increase in chances, the “Lions of Atlas” did not score the winning goal.
In the other Group A game, Zambia, Morocco’s last group opponent on Monday, and the Comoros drew 0-0. Mali and Zambia are two points behind the North Africans, the Comoros have one point.