Host Morocco booked their place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Tanzania on Sunday night in Rabat, setting up a last-eight clash against the winner of South Africa versus Cameroon on January 9.

 

Playing before a packed crowd of 69,500 fans, the Atlas Lions relied on their experience and composure to overcome a determined Tanzanian side, popularly known as the Taifa Stars—a Swahili phrase meaning “Stars of the Nation.” Tanzania fought bravely throughout the encounter but ultimately fell short against one of Africa’s most seasoned teams, currently coached by the manager fondly referred to as the “Bald Man.”

 

The decisive moment came in the 64th minute when Morocco’s new talisman, Brahim Díaz, produced a moment of brilliance. The 26-year-old Real Madrid midfielder latched onto a pass from Achraf Hakimi and, instead of squaring the ball as many expected, calmly slotted it into the net, catching the Tanzanian goalkeeper off guard.

 

Díaz has been in scintillating form throughout the tournament. He scored seven goals in the buildup to the AFCON finals and has now found the net in all four matches Morocco have played at AFCON 2025—against Zambia, Mali, Comoros, and Tanzania.

 

Morocco thought they had taken the lead earlier in the match when Ismael Saibari scored in the 15th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Tanzania reached the Round of 16 after a 2–1 loss to Nigeria, and 1–1 draws against Uganda and Tunisia. Morocco topped their group with a 2–0 win over Comoros, a 1–1 draw with Mali, and a commanding 3–0 victory over Zambia.

The two nations have met eight times, with Morocco winning seven of those encounters and Tanzania claiming just one victory. A total of 20 goals have been scored in those meetings, with Morocco accounting for 15. At AFCON level, the teams have met three times, all ending in Moroccan victories. Tanzania’s lone win came on March 24, 2013, when the Taifa Stars triumphed 3–1. The biggest margin between them was a 3–0 Moroccan win at AFCON on January 17, 2024.

 

Their recent meetings further underline Morocco’s dominance: wins of 2–0 (November 21, 2023, World Cup qualifier), 3–0 (January 17, 2024, AFCON), 2–0 (March 25, 2025, World Cup qualifier), and now 1–0 in this AFCON Round of 16 tie.

Tanzania, ranked 112th in the world, reached the Round of 16 for the first time in their five AFCON appearances. Morocco, ranked among Africa’s elite, are competing in their 20th AFCON tournament. They won the title in 1976, finished runners-up once, and placed fourth on two occasions.

 

With this narrow but crucial victory, Morocco continue their quest for continental glory on home soil, while Tanzania exit the tournament with pride after a historic run.