Brahim Diaz walked off the Rabat pitch relieved more than anything, knowing his single flash of quality had dragged Morocco into the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals.
The playmaker had been closely marshalled all evening by Tanzania’s stubborn back line, as Morocco toiled to turn long spells of possession into real danger. When Ismail Saibari’s first-half finish was ruled out by VAR for offside, the tension inside the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex only grew.
After the break, Diaz took it upon himself to change the story, first testing the defence with a glancing header before finally breaking through on 63 minutes with a sharp run and finish from a tight angle. The goal, his fourth of the tournament, pushed him clear at the top of the scoring charts and sparked wild celebrations from the home crowd.
Reflecting on the night after being named TotalEnergies Man of the Match, Diaz admitted Morocco had been stretched.
“The competition is growing in intensity and we have just faced our toughest opposition so far against this Tanzanian team. Not everything worked, we know that, but fortunately we managed to secure our qualification.”
“Now we will go back to work to be fully ready for the quarter-finals.”
