Against outsiders Tanzania
©IMAGO
Hosts Morocco made it to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a lot of effort. Coach Walid Regragui’s team won 1-0 (0-0) against outsiders Tanzania after 90 hard-fought minutes. Offensive star Brahim Díaz from Real Madrid scored the decisive goal in Rabat in the 64th minute in front of an atmospheric backdrop.
In the round of the last eight, the fourth-placed team in the 2022 World Cup will face Cameroon on Friday. The Indomitable Lions beat South Africa 2-1 (1-0) thanks to a goal from Bayer Leverkusen’s Christian Kofane.
The 26-year-old Díaz was a little lucky when he scored for Morocco from a tight angle because Tanzania’s goalkeeper Hussein Masalanga didn’t get his short corner in time. However, the 1-0 could have been made shortly beforehand when ex-Dortmunder Achraf Hakimi hit a free kick powerfully onto the crossbar in his 90th international match. The captain then prepared Díaz’s fourth goal of the tournament. Tanzania could no longer find an answer to this.
The Moroccans, who started with Stuttgart’s Bilal El Khannouss and former Bayern player Noussair Mazraoui, among others, rarely lived up to their favorite status. Tanzania, which had barely reached the round of 16 with two draws and one defeat, even missed a great chance to take the lead in the early stages thanks to Simon Msuva. In stoppage time, the outsider called for a penalty kick to no avail.
South Africa wins the game, Cameroon scores more goals
Cameroon moved into the quarter-finals thanks to efficient use of chances. Junior Tchamadeu (34′) before and Leverkusen’s Kofane (47′) after the break scored the goals. The South Africans, who dominated the game for long periods, scored in the final phase through Evidence Makgopa (88th). But it wasn’t enough for more.