Morocco moved within touching distance of the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 after recovering from a setback to share the points with Mali in Rabat. The hosts, competing at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, needed a penalty from Brahim Diaz to lead at the interval, only for the Eagles to respond from the spot in the second period.
Morocco moved within touching distance of the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 after recovering from a setback to share the points with Mali in Rabat. The hosts, competing at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, needed a penalty from Brahim Diaz to lead at the interval, only for the Eagles to respond from the spot in the second period.
Both decisions arrived after Video Assistant Referee checks, with match official Abdou Abdel Mefire instructed to review incidents on his touchline monitor. The Real Madrid playmaker broke the deadlock late in the first half after the ball brushed Nathan Gassama’s arm at close range.
Mali equalised just after the hour mark when Jawad El Yamiq brought down Lassine Sinayoko inside the area, allowing the forward to beat Yassine Bounou despite the noise inside the arena. The result leaves Morocco on four points at the top of the section, trailed by Mali and Zambia on two and Comoros on one.
The final round of fixtures arrives on Monday at 19:00 GMT, when the home team faces Zambia in Rabat while Mali makes the trip to Casablanca to take on Comoros in a decisive showdown.
Morocco, aiming to end a 50-year wait for continental glory, had opened their campaign with a narrow win over Comoros, while Mali had let victory slip by conceding at the death versus Zambia. Visiting head coach Tom Saintfiet reacted to that setback by naming five fresh faces, including skipper Yves Bissouma following injury.
Achraf Hakimi remained unavailable from the start, so Diaz assumed creator duties once more. He nearly struck midway through the opening period, with Djigui Diarra parrying a driven effort and Ismael Saibari failing to turn in the rebound with the net unguarded.
The key talking point just before the interval arrived when Diaz surged into the box, with the ball striking Gassama’s hand near the turf as the defender attempted to regain balance. Tunisian VAR Haythem Guirat recommended a review, and the hosts benefitted from a second borderline call in as many matches.
In contrast, Mali’s award came without argument after Sinayoko was felled during a rare forward foray. Although Mefire’s view appeared obstructed, he eventually overturned his initial stance to point to the spot where Sinayoko squeezed the ball beneath Bounou to silence the celebrations.
Walid Regragui reacted to the leveller with a triple substitution, removing Diaz, Azzedine Ounahi, and Ayoub El Kaabi to introduce further firepower. Replacement Youssef En-Nesyri should have restored the lead with just over ten minutes remaining after being released by Neil El Aynaoui, but the Fenerbahçe striker was thwarted by Diarra’s legs.
There was almost a dramatic finale as right-back Woyo Coulibaly misjudged a back-header towards his own goalkeeper deep into added time, forcing another athletic stop from the Malian shot-stopper to prevent an own goal. That intervention ensured the points were shared.
The outcome halts Morocco’s unprecedented run of nineteen straight victories, although the Atlas Lions have still avoided defeat in twenty-two outings since being eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2023 tournament. Mali, meanwhile, remain firmly in contention for progression on the final matchday.
