Morocco were held to a surprise 1–1 draw by Mali at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, as penalties from Brahim Diaz and Lassine Sinayoko ensured the AFCON hosts were denied a 20th consecutive victory.

The hosts began on the front foot, asserting their dominance early and pinning Mali deep inside their own half. Brahim Diaz came close to breaking the deadlock in the 16th minute after slick build-up play from Walid Regragui’s side, but his close-range effort was well saved by Djigui Diarra. Ayoub El Kaabi later found himself in a promising position, only to misjudge his header and miss the target.

Despite a largely controlled first-half performance from Morocco, the breakthrough only arrived after VAR intervention shortly before the interval. Nathan Gassama was initially spared punishment for a suspected handball, but the decision was overturned following a review. Diaz stepped up and confidently dispatched the penalty into the bottom-left corner, leaving Diarra with no chance.

The second half began quietly, but the match’s tempo and tension soon escalated after another VAR delay. Jawad El Yamiq’s clumsy challenge brought down Lassine Sinayoko inside the area, handing Mali an opportunity to respond. Sinayoko made no mistake from the spot, calmly converting to score his ninth international goal and draw his side level.

Morocco pushed hard in search of a winner, with Mali defender Ousmane Camara almost gifting Youssef En-Nesyri a decisive chance, only for Diarra to produce another crucial save. The world’s 11th-ranked side continued to press late on, but their best opportunity in the dying moments ironically came via a Malian head, as Woyo Coulibaly’s last-ditch header back toward his own goalkeeper nearly proved costly.

While the result was a disappointment for Morocco, they remain favourites to top their group. For Mali, however, earning a point against one of the tournament’s leading contenders represents a significant achievement, though they will still need a positive result in their final group match against Zambia to secure qualification.