Morocco and Cameroon Reach the Quarterfinals of AFCON 2025

On January 4, two Round of 16 matches of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations were played in Morocco. The Moroccan national team faced Tanzania, while Cameroon took on South Africa. Both matches were intense, but the favorites managed to confirm their status and advance to the quarterfinals.

The tournament hosts, Morocco, supported by their home crowd, secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Tanzania. The Moroccans dominated possession and created chances but struggled to convert them into goals for a long time. The only goal came in the 63rd minute, scored by Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Díaz after an assist from Achraf Hakimi.

For Hakimi, this was his first match of the tournament. The PSG defender returned after an injury sustained earlier in the season and immediately made a significant contribution to his national team’s success. Brahim Díaz, meanwhile, continues to impress with his scoring form, finding the net for the fourth consecutive match at AFCON 2025.

In the second match of the day, Cameroon defeated South Africa 2–1. Defender Junior Tchamadeu opened the scoring in the 34th minute, and before halftime, 19-year-old Bayer forward Christian Kofane doubled the lead for the Indomitable Lions.

South Africa fought until the final whistle and managed to pull one goal back through Evidence Makgopa, but they ran out of time to complete a comeback.

In the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco and Cameroon will face each other on January 9 in Rabat. Earlier, the first quarterfinal pairing had already been confirmed, with Mali set to play Senegal for a place in the semifinals.