…Morocco still without Achraf Hakimi
Morocco were forced to settle for a 1–1 draw against Mali after a second-half penalty cancelled out Brahim Díaz’s first-half spot kick in a tense Africa Cup of Nations Group A encounter in Rabat, bringing an end to a 19-match winning streak across all competitions, Bold Sports reports.
The hosts dominated possession and territory for long spells but were unable to convert their control into victory, as Mali stayed compact and capitalised on a costly defensive error to earn a valuable point.
Morocco began the match with clear attacking intent, pushing Mali deep inside their own half from the opening minutes. Brahim Díaz was heavily involved early, testing the goalkeeper with a free kick and later forcing another save after combining with Azzedine Ounahi. Ayoub El Kaabi and Ismael Saibari both went close with headers as the pressure mounted.
Mali struggled to create clear chances in the first half, though Mamadou Sangaré briefly threatened with a long-range effort that sailed over the bar. As halftime approached, Morocco’s persistence was finally rewarded. A VAR review ruled that Abdoulaye Diaby had fouled inside the box, and Díaz stepped up to calmly convert the resulting penalty in stoppage time, giving the hosts a deserved lead at the break.
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Morocco carried that momentum into the second half, with Díaz again testing Mali’s defence early on, but the visitors gradually found their footing. The turning point arrived just after the hour mark when Jawad El Yamiq committed a foul inside the box. Following another VAR intervention, Mali were awarded a penalty of their own, and Lassine Sinayoko made no mistake from twelve yards to level the score.
The equaliser shifted the balance of the contest. Morocco introduced fresh attacking options, bringing on Youssef En-Nesyri, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and Bilal El Khannouss in search of a winner, while Mali responded by reinforcing their midfield and later sending on El Bilal Touré to add energy up front.
Chances became fewer as fatigue set in. En-Nesyri saw a late effort comfortably gathered by the goalkeeper, while Ezzalzouli headed over from a promising position. Mali defended with discipline in the closing stages, absorbing pressure and disrupting Morocco’s rhythm to protect the draw.
The result leaves Morocco frustrated after failing to turn dominance into three points, while Mali will be encouraged by their resilience and composure away from home as the group stage continues.
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