A goal from Brahim takes Morocco to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations
- Brahim breaks the deadlock and leads the tournament
- Final minutes: ovation and controversy
- Authorities present and next opponent
Morocco found itself in one of those matches that, in theory, seem easy, but as the minutes tick by, they become more complicated. Although they went into half-time with 72% possession, Walid Regragui's team could not break the 0-0 deadlock.
Tanzania, playing defensive football, looked for the opportunity to cause an upset, mainly from set pieces, and eliminate the hosts from their own continental tournament.
And the ‘Taifa Stars’ almost succeeded in the 60th minute. They had a golden opportunity, the kind that cannot be missed in a short tournament, with the ball dead in the area in a one-on-one with Bono, who was already beaten, but the shot went into the clouds.
Brahim breaks the deadlock and leads the tournament
The one who didn't miss was Brahim. He burst into the area, feinted, and fired home to make it 1-0 in the 64th minute of the match. With that goal, he became the sole leader as the top scorer of the tournament, with four goals. The goal was celebrated with great euphoria in the royal box by Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, Princess Lalla Khadija, and Princess Lalla Salma.
The move came from a cross by Hakimi, who minutes earlier had sent a free kick onto the crossbar with a power that was heard throughout the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Final minutes: ovation and controversy
Just 20 minutes after scoring the goal that secured a place in the quarter-finals, Brahim received an ovation from the stadium when he was substituted.
However, the match was not without controversy, as Tanzania appealed for a penalty on Iddy Nado in the last minute for a push that the referee did not consider sufficient to award a spot kick.
Authorities present and next opponent
In the VIP box were the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and the president of CAF, Patrice Motsepe, accompanied by several ministers who did not want to miss the match, such as Leila Benali, Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
With the match over, Morocco now has to wait for the winner of the match between South Africa and Cameroon, which will be played tonight at 8 p.m., two of the teams that are playing the best football so far.