Morocco 1-0 Tanzania: Diaz steers AFCON hosts into quarter-finals

Brahim Diaz sent Morocco through to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, as they edged out Tanzania 1-0 in Rabat.

The on-loan AC Milan midfielder scored the only goal at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah – and his fourth of the tournament – with the host nation keeping their quest for glory firmly on track.

Morocco had the ball in the net after just 15 minutes, but Ismael Saibari’s header was swiftly ruled out for offside, while Diaz and Ayoub El Kaabi both sent decent chances off target later in the first half.

Both sides then went close after the break, with El Kaabi heading Achraf Hakimi’s cross wide from close range.

Tanzania, playing their first ever knockout tie in the competition, went straight down the other end and Feisal Salum blazed a rebound over, after Yassine Bounou could only parry Mohamed Hussein’s fierce initial strike.

However, Diaz was the matchwinner in the 64th minute, his shot from a tight angle squirming under Tanzania goalkeeper Hussein Masalanga to take the hosts through to the last eight.

Quarter-finals | Spot 3.

Morocco advance to the next round of the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025!pic.twitter.com/Af0zXOvbgk

— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) January 4, 2026

Data Debrief: Diaz breaks new ground for Morocco

The tournament’s top scorer, Diaz’s decisive strike was also a historic one for Morocco.

Indeed, the Milan midfielder is the first player to score four goals for the Atlas Lions during a single edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Diaz is also only the third player since 2010 to score in each of his first four games in a single Africa Cup of Nations, after Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon in 2022) and Mostafa Mohamed (Egypt in 2023).

Morocco have now progressed for only the second time in their last seven knockout matches in the competition, reaching only a third quarter-final in nine appearances.

The Atlas Lions have also registered their first clean sheet in an AFCON knockout tie since their 4-0 victory over Mali in the 2004 semi-finals.

As for Tanzania, they are still without a win in 13 games at the AFCON (D5 L8), becoming the country with the most games in the competition without ever having won (surpassing Guinea-Bissau on 12).