Mali recovered to tie Morocco in Group A of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat, putting the hosts’ chances of advancing to the next round at risk.
The game was a thrilling story of two penalty kicks at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. VAR twice called referee Abdou Abdel Mefire to the screen, which heightened the stadium’s tension.
Morocco took the lead through Brahim Diaz’s penalty late in the first half after Gassama’s handball.
Lassine Sinayoko was fouled by Jawad El Yamiq, and the Eagles responded soon after. Sinayoko stayed calm and scored his penalty against Yassine Bounou despite the whistles.
Eagles goalkeeper Djigui Diarra stopped Youssef En-Nesyri with his legs, then he prevented Woyo Coulibaly from scoring an own goal. The West Africans secured a hard-fought draw, keeping their hopes of reaching the knockout stage intact.
Morocco leads the group with four points, while Mali and Zambia have two, and Comoros is last with one point after a 0-0 draw against the southern Africans on Friday.
Group A will be decided on Monday (19:00 GMT), with the hosts playing Zambia in the capital and Mali facing Comoros in Casablanca.
Morocco’s record-breaking winning streak over
Morocco won their first match against Comoros on Sunday, aiming for their first Afcon title in 50 years. Meanwhile, Mali drew a day later after Zambia scored a late equaliser.
Five changes were made by Eagles manager Tom Saintfiet, including the return of injured captain Yves Bissouma, with El Bilal Toure, Nene Dorgeles, and Kamory Doumbia being benched.
As Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s captain, was still not fit to begin, Diaz was once again tasked with setting the tempo for the Atlas Lions, following his goal versus Comoros.
The Real Madrid midfielder almost scored in the 17th minute; Diarra blocked his shot, and Saibari missed the rebound.
The pivotal moment occurred at half-time, as Diaz’s dribble into the box resulted in Gassama’s hand touch, followed by the ball landing back to Diaz.
Tunisian VAR Haythem Guirat requested that Mefire review his pitchside monitor, which led to a seemingly soft call after a close penalty decision that favored the hosts against Comoros.
However, El Yamiq clearly fouled Sinayoko in a rare Mali play, though the ref’s view was obstructed, and he took a while to review it.
Coach Walid Regragui of Morocco made three substitutions, removing Diaz, Azzedine Ounahi, and Ayoub El Kaabi; Fenerbahce’s En-Nesyri had the best chance in the 78th minute following a pass from Neil El Aynaoui.
The match’s most intense moment occurred in stoppage time when Coulibaly misplayed a back header. Diarra made a full-extension dive to his right, saving the ball.
This result breaks Morocco’s world record of 19 wins, but the Atlas Lions have not lost in 22 games since the 2023 Afcon.
