Morocco advances to AFCON semi finals as hosts while Senegal joins them in last four
Hosts Morocco maintained their hopes of securing the Africa Cup of Nations title before their home supporters by defeating Cameroon 2-0 in the quarter finals on Friday, as Senegal overcame Mali to advance to the semi finals.
Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz scored his fifth goal in five matches at the tournament to give Morocco the lead against Cameroon in front of more than 64,000 spectators at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with Ismael Saibari adding the second in the latter part of the game.
Morocco fully merited their success and now move on to face the victor of Saturdays encounter between Algeria and Nigeria in the semi finals.
We must continue taking it step by step, one match at a time, since we have achieved nothing substantial yet, declared Morocco manager Walid Regragui, who also described the result as a historic achievement.
Moroccans had not witnessed their national side in an AFCON semi final for 22 years, and they truly earned this, yet we must remain grounded and aim to create an even greater legacy.
The upcoming semi final will present a tougher challenge for Morocco compared to Cameroon, who aimed for a surprise result after possibly surpassing predictions by reaching this stage following a challenging preparation period for the event.
The Indomitable Lions, who have claimed the African title five times, generated few opportunities, with Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo unable to influence the proceedings significantly.
We feel content with the players efforts, as they delivered considerable excitement to the Cameroonian supporters, which was our primary goal, stated manager David Pagou, who assumed control of the squad shortly before the competition began.
Morocco, the highest ranked African nation and semi finalists at the 2022 World Cup, face immense expectations to lift the trophy in their homeland, marking half a century since their previous continental success.
Questions have arisen about their ability to cope with such pressure, but they stay on track to meet their ambitions, as this marks their first AFCON semi final appearance since the 2004 final defeat to Tunisia.
Morocco lost to Cameroon in the semi finals during their previous hosting of the AFCON in 1988, though a similar scenario appeared unlikely this time.
The home side took the lead in the 26th minute as Achraf Hakimis corner kick was directed goalwards by Ayoub El Kaabi from close range, with the ball deflecting in off Diaz.
This settled the enthusiastic local crowd, who applauded their players at the interval, before Saibari confirmed the triumph in the 74th minute.
The PSV Eindhoven playmaker trapped Abde Ezzalzoulis set piece delivery at the far post prior to slotting home, propelling Morocco towards Wednesdays semi finals.
Ndiaye clinches victory over Mali
Senegal, ranked as the second strongest African side globally after Morocco, were viewed as the primary rivals to the hosts prior to the tournament start, and they too have progressed to the semi finals.
The 2022 title holders triumphed 1-0 over 10-man Mali in a regional West African showdown in Tangiers, courtesy of a goal in the opening period by Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye.
The strike arrived on 27 minutes after an error from Mali custodian Djigui Diarra, who let Krepin Diatta cross evade his grasp, allowing Ndiaye to finish the rebound.
Subsequently, in their second straight knockout fixture, Mali played the remainder of the first half with nine outfield players following a second caution for skipper Yves Bissouma due to a challenge on Idrissa Gana Gueye.
Diarra compensated for his earlier mistake with multiple impressive stops to maintain Malis involvement, though a single goal proved sufficient for Senegal.
Aiming for their third final in the last four tournaments, the Lions of Teranga will confront either defending champions Ivory Coast or the seven-time record holders Egypt, scheduled for Saturday, in the semi finals.
Senegal boss Pape Thiaw remarked: It proved a challenging encounter against a skilful Mali outfit, and greater finishing could have yielded additional scores.
It was a tough contest for us, especially managing half of it shorthanded, noted Mali manager Tom Saintfiet. I take pride in the players performance, not just this evening but across the entire AFCON.