Africa Cup Of Nations | Friday January 9 | QF 2
- Morocco 2-0 Cameroon
Brahim Díaz just keeps scoring. The Real Madrid forward found the net for a fifth straight match as hosts Morocco beat Cameroon 2-0 on Friday night to reach the AFCON 2025 semi-finals and keep their home dream alive.
Roared on by a packed Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium crowd, Morocco stayed patient against a well-organised Cameroon side.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute and, as has become routine, Díaz was at the heart of it.
He reacted quickest to Ayoub El Kaabi’s flicked header from a corner, nudging the ball in from close range to extend his remarkable run and set a new Moroccan record at the tournament.
Cameroon pushed back but struggled to find a way through Morocco’s disciplined defence.
Their best chance arrived midway through the second half when Georges Kévin Nkoudou fired across goal, briefly testing the hosts’ resolve.
Morocco ended any doubt in the 74th minute. Substitute Ismael Saibari finished calmly at the far post after another corner, sealing a controlled performance and handing Cameroon their first AFCON defeat to Morocco in five meetings.
There was some frustration over refereeing decisions from Mauritanian official Dahane Beida, who stepped in late to take charge of the quarter-final, but it did little to distract from Morocco’s command of the night.
With Díaz in unstoppable form and confidence growing, the Atlas Lions now look ahead to Wednesday’s semi-final against either Nigeria or Algeria.
Earlier on Friday, defending champions Senegal also booked their place in the last four after Iliman Ndiaye’s first half goal secured a 1-0 win over 10-man Mali in Tangier.
