Brahim Diaz’s record-breaking goal was enough to send hosts Morocco into the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Tanzania nearly took a shock early lead just two minutes into the match when Simon Msuva met a cross from the wing, but his header went wide with only the goal to aim at.

Morocco also thought they had broken the deadlock in the 15th minute through Ismael Saibari’s header, but after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside.

The first half ended goalless, with neither side registering a shot on target, although Morocco dominated possession.

The hosts came out firing after the break and continued to control the game. Nineteen minutes into the second half, Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz finally made the breakthrough, firing home from a tight angle into the bottom-right corner after receiving a pass from Achraf Hakimi.

The strike saw Diaz become the first Moroccan player to score in four consecutive AFCON matches and proved decisive as Walid Regragui’s side booked their place in the next round in front of their home fans as they continue to chase their first AFCON title in 50 years.

Meanwhile, Tanzania felt cheated after being denied a penalty in the 94th minute when Morocco’s Adam Masina appeared to foul Addy Nado inside the box. However, the referee did not review the incident, and VAR didn’t intervene either—much to the displeasure of the Tanzanians, who protested but to no avail.

The Atlas Lions will now face the winner of the match between South Africa and Cameroon in the quarter-finals on Friday.

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