Morocco coach Walid Regragui acknowledged his team struggled to find their rhythm in the first half against Tanzania but praised their recovery in the second half.
The hosts were held scoreless through the opening 45 minutes of their Round of 16 clash at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday.
Brahim Diaz’s decisive strike in the second half, however, secured a 1-0 victory and sent the Atlas Lions into the quarterfinals.
“We knew it was not going to be easy, judging by the matches we saw yesterday, even if we thought it might be more straightforward,” Regragui said after the game.
“The first half was not good, but I recognised my team much more in the second half. The most important thing is qualification.”
With key midfielder Azzedine Ounahi sidelined by injury, Regragui highlighted the team’s determination to push forward.
“As for Azzedine Ounahi, he picked up an injury in training and is out of the Africa Cup of Nations. We are losing an exceptional player and a leader in our dressing room, but we will continue to fight for him.”
Morocco will face Cameroon in the quarterfinals on Friday, January 9, at the same stadium, with kick-off set for 19:00 GMT.
