Hosts Morocco and Senegal booked their places in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 semi-finals on Friday with commanding quarter-final victories, extending their continental title ambitions after contrasting displays at the knockout stages.
In the evening’s first blockbuster at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco delivered a controlled performance to dispatch Cameroon 2-0, ending a long-standing hoodoo against their West African rivals. Brahim Díaz, the tournament’s standout performer, opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a deft finish for his fifth goal in five matches, before Ismael Saibari doubled the lead in the 74th minute to seal victory for the hosts.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui praised his side’s collective effort and the support of the home crowd. “I want to thank the players and the fans. It truly felt like we were playing with 12 players on the pitch… qualifying for the semi-finals is well deserved, and the players earned it,” he said, while also acknowledging Cameroon’s resilience. “We must remain humble because every team wants to beat us, and we must respect all our opponents,” Regragui added.
Morocco’s win not only secured a semi-final berth — their first since 2004 — but also keeps alive hopes of lifting their first AFCON title since 1976. They will face the winner of Algeria vs. Nigeria in the last four.
Earlier in Tangier, Senegal edged past Mali 1-0 in a fiercely contested West African derby to maintain their strong record at the tournament. Iliman Ndiaye, making his first start of the competition, capitalised on a defensive error to score the decisive goal in the 27th minute.
#AFCON2025: #Senegal have secured a place in the AFCON 2025 semi-finals after beating #Mali in Tangier pic.twitter.com/ehAenfBiV8
— Angel Network News (@angelnetnews) January 9, 2026
Mali’s task was made more difficult on the cusp of half-time as captain Yves Bissouma was shown a second yellow card, leaving his side to battle the second half with ten men. Despite spirited resistance, Mali could not find an equaliser and exited the tournament.
Senegal coach Pape Thiaw emphasised the importance of patience and discipline in tight knockout matches. “It was not an easy match because we played against a very talented Mali team… what is more important today is we have qualified for the semi-final,” Thiaw said, underlining his team’s focus on the next challenge.
Senegal now await the outcome of the Egypt vs. Côte d’Ivoire quarter-final to determine their semi-final opponent.
