Held to a draw by a solid Tanzania, Morocco relied on Brahim Diaz’s 4th goal of the tournament to secure their ticket to the quarter-finals (1-0).
A hard-fought qualification that does little to restore the host nation’s confidence, which could have been penalized with a penalty in the 88th minute for a push in the back of Masina on Nado.
In front of a public expecting nothing less than final victory, the Atlas Lions must now raise their level of play for the quarter-finals.
Their opponent will be Cameroon, who defeated South Africa (2-1). The Indomitable Lions showed efficiency while ceding control of the game to Bafana Bafana.
Solid defensively, Cameroon found the breakthrough in the 34th and 47th minutes through Tchamadeu and Kofane.
With 67% ball possession, South Africa confirmed that domination does not guarantee victory. Too imprecise, the 1996 African champions reduced the deficit too late (Makgopa, 88th) to turn the match around.