Morocco advance to Arab Cup semi-final with narrow 1-0 triumph over Syria

Morocco sealed their place in the Arab Cup semi-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Syria on Thursday at the Khalifa International Stadium.

The breakthrough arrived in the 79th minute when Walid Azaro pounced on a deflected effort from substitute Mounir Chouiar and steered it home to give the North Africans the lead.

Before the goal, Morocco had controlled the contest, dictating the tempo and creating the better openings, but failing to make their dominance count. They finished with 59 per cent possession, 19 attempts and seven shots on target, showing their intent throughout the game.

Syria, ranked 87th by FIFA, struggled to trouble the Moroccan defence, managing just four shots with only one testing the goalkeeper.

The closing stages, however, brought drama. Morocco were reduced to ten men in stoppage time when defender Mohamed Moufid received a red card in the 90+1 minute.

Despite the pressure that followed, the Atlas Lions held their shape and resisted Syria’s late push until the final whistle.

The victory extends Morocco’s impressive run in the tournament as they await the winner of the Algeria-UAE quarter-final.