Despite the mild temperature and finally good skies, a wave of freshness violently hit Rabat on Friday evening. Morocco, carried by a boiling popular enthusiasm, was spared the heatstroke that the most superstitious of its supporters feared. Facing a Cameroon team over which it had never before gained the upper hand in the African Cup of Nations, the host country, like Senegal a few hours earlier against Mali, won its ticket for the last four of this CAN 2025.
A first in 22 years for Moroccans who, on the occasion of this first big test of the competition, filled their luggage with the certainties necessary to hope to continue their path further in this tournament in which they aim to take control.
This meeting of the “Lion’s club” with the Indomitables, their counterparts from the Atlas in fact initially managed it in a “pachydermic” way during a first period which saw them suffocate their opponents unceremoniously. Since changing one’s plans, one’s system or one’s players is, in the words of Walid Regragui at a press conference, “sometimes the sign that one is afraid”, the Moroccan coach has not changed anything in his starting eleven. And the collective hardly changed its habits.
Brahim Diaz again
As has been the case since the start of the competition, it was once again Brahim Diaz who brought the crowds to their feet and freed his own people. As he did against the Comoros, Mali and Zambia in the group stage, then against Tanzania in the round of 16, the Madrilenian once again shook the nets by extending a header from Ayoub El Kaabi following a corner kicked by Achraf Hakimi. A fifth consecutive goal in five games, built by the three strong men of the Lions, which places Diaz a little higher in this record than anyone had yet achieved in the jersey of the selection.
In a deafening din, alternating whistles during Cameroonian possessions and “sir” (rush) and “Dima Maghrib” (forever Morocco) in Moroccan phases, it was however the left flank which was said to be less impactful which made its own. Led by an untenable Abde Ezzalzouli, Morocco finished the job during a defensive but ultimately strategically rewarding second half. Despite finally having better possession of the ball, Cameroon will not be able to put Bounou in danger in his area. On the contrary, on a free kick taken by an Ezzalzouli in all good shots, Ismaël Saibari will end up liberating the entire country by doubling the lead with a cross strike fifteen minutes from time.
The end of a trauma
A scenario which will not calm the anger of Cameroonians furious at an arbitration that their supporters will call home in the stands. But who, at the final whistle, triggered a wave of euphoria in the stands red with happiness. And for good reason. Not only did the Atlas Lions sweep away this Friday the trauma that had haunted them since 1988 and the victory of Cameroon in the semi-final of a CAN of which they were the host country. But for the first time in its history, Morocco comes out of the CAN quarter-finals without having conceded a single goal. A first that looks like an essential reference match to challenge the winner of the Algeria – Nigeria match in the semi-final.
