Morocco were forced to delay their qualification for the knockout stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after being held to a 1–1 draw by Mali in their second Group A fixture on Friday, December 26.
The hosts had looked set to secure a place in the last 16 after Brahim Díaz converted a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time, but Lassine Sinayoko’s second-half spot-kick earned Mali a crucial point at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The match was defined by two penalties. Díaz opened the scoring after VAR ruled that Mali defender Nathan Gassama had handled the ball while attempting to stop the Real Madrid midfielder inside the box.
Díaz calmly sent goalkeeper Djigui Diarra the wrong way for his second goal of the tournament.
Morocco dominated possession for long spells but were unable to extend their advantage, and their failure to capitalise proved costly.
Just after the hour mark, Mali were awarded a penalty of their own when Sinayoko was brought down by Jawad El Yamiq.
Following another VAR review, referee Abdoul Abdel Mefire pointed to the spot, and the Auxerre forward converted confidently to restore parity.
The draw ended Morocco’s world-record winning streak, which had stretched to 19 matches following their opening 2–0 victory over Comoros.
Despite dropping points, Walid Regragui’s side remain top of Group A with four points from two games.
Mali now sit on two points, level with Zambia, who earlier played out a goalless draw with Comoros in Casablanca.
Morocco will seal qualification as group winners if they defeat Zambia in their final group match on Monday, December 29.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi remained an unused substitute as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury, while his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé was among the 63,844 spectators in attendance.
Substitute Youssef En-Nesyri came close to restoring Morocco’s lead late on, but Diarra produced a fine save before Mali held firm through 10 minutes of stoppage time to silence the home crowd and secure a hard-earned draw.
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Story by Xavier Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
