Morocco was held to a draw by Mali (1-1) on Friday, December 26, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, during the second matchday of Group A of CAN 2025. In an evening billed as a true test, the Atlas Lions controlled the game for long stretches without truly securing their lead, before being caught in the second half by a disciplined and dangerous Malian Eagles team in transition.
From the outset, the match took the form of a tug-of-war. Deprived of Romain Saïss (confirmed absent the day before) and with Achraf Hakimi still being managed physically, Hoalid Regragui had to adjust his balance against a compact Malian side, coached by Tom Saintfiet, which came to challenge Moroccan dominance in duels.
Morocco eventually found the breakthrough just before halftime. Following a handball by a Malian player in the box, Brahim Díaz converted the penalty to give his team the lead (45+5). A goal “at the best moment,” which seemed set to launch a more open second half.
However, Mali responded after the break, leveraging VAR and their ability to exploit spaces. After a controversial situation in the Moroccan box, the referee awarded a penalty to the Eagles; Lassine Sinayoko took charge and equalized (64), completely reigniting the match.
The end of the match swung into a sequence of Moroccan pressure. Offensive substitutions brought more presence in the box, and Youssef En-Nesyri created a major opportunity, but goalkeeper Djigui Diarra made a decisive save to preserve the draw. In the final seconds, Mali held firm during a very tense moment in front of their goal, confirming their composure in a hostile environment.
In the standings, Morocco remains in a good position but has not yet secured its ticket to the knockout stage: qualification will be decided on the final matchday, Monday, December 29, against Zambia.
