Brahim Diaz has quickly become Morocco’s new hero at this Africa Cup of Nations after scoring in every match played by the Atlas Lions so far.
His goals were again decisive in the 2–0 quarter final win over Cameroon, confirming his growing importance in the team.
Scoring in five different matches at a single edition is a rare achievement. Only Ndaye Mulamba, Gedo and Vincent Aboubakar have managed it before, and even Samuel Eto’o never reached that level of consistency in one tournament.
The competition has arrived at the right time for the 26 year old, who has struggled for regular minutes at Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso. With only three league starts this season, Diaz has found the freedom to express himself with Morocco.
Coach Walid Regragui praised him after the win over Cameroon: “He can be the best player in the world. Today, he is the X factor of my team. I want to congratulate him because he now understands what it means to have Moroccan blood: to run, to fight and to give everything you have.”
With fans firmly behind him, Diaz now leads Morocco into a semi final clash with Nigeria.
