There's something almost cruel about football sometimes. For 63 minutes, Tanzania did everything right. They sat deep, stayed compact, frustrated a Morocco side bursting with talent and expectation. The Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium grew restless. Whistles pierced through the Rabat night.
Then Brahim Diaz happened.
The Real Madrid man, who has become Morocco's talisman throughout this tournament, collected Achraf Hakimi's pass on the right side of the penalty area, shifted onto his right foot, and found the bottom corner. Hussein Masalanga got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out. The roar that followed could probably be heard in Casablanca.
A tournament transformed
That strike—Diaz's fourth goal in four matches—now makes him the outright top scorer at AFCON 2025. More importantly, it sends Morocco into a quarter-final meeting with either South Africa or Cameroon, keeping alive a nation's dream of lifting a trophy they haven't won in 50 years.
Coach Walid Regragui had warned his players before kick-off. Speaking at Saturday's press conference, he made no attempt to hide Morocco's historical baggage: "The reason we haven't won the AFCON for over 50 years is overconfidence. We didn't win because we lacked humility at certain moments."
That caution seemed appropriate during a first half that yielded no shots on target from either side. Morocco dominated possession—73 percent of it—but Tanzania's defensive wall held firm. The Taifa Stars, playing in the knockout stages for the first time since 1980, refused to simply roll over for the favorites.
Hakimi's return pays dividends
The decisive moment owed plenty to Hakimi, who was making his first start since recovering from an ankle injury sustained against Bayern Munich in November. The PSG defender had only managed a late cameo against Zambia in the group stage, but Regragui's decision to unleash him from the start proved pivotal.
"Hakimi is physically ready," Regragui had said beforehand. "The decision is mine. We have played without him before but having him available is a big boost."
Boost is putting it mildly. Hakimi tortured Tanzania's left flank throughout, and when the breakthrough came, his driving run and intelligent cutback found Diaz in exactly the right position.
The unlikely bond
There's a story worth telling about these two. During Morocco's group stage, when fans began chanting Diaz's name while he stood near the corner flag, the emotion visibly overwhelmed him. Hakimi sprinted over, embraced his teammate, then turned to the crowd and urged them to sing louder. It captured something essential about this Moroccan squad—talented individuals bound by genuine connection.
Diaz, born in Malaga but choosing Morocco over Spain in 2023, has spoken repeatedly about what this tournament means to him. "I feel at home," he told reporters earlier in the competition. "I feel really good and know that the people love me. I want to give it my best when representing Morocco because without them I would not be here and not be playing football."
Tanzania's fairytale ends with dignity
For Miguel Ángel Gamondi and his players, there will be heartache tonight. But also pride. The Argentine coach, who spent years working in Moroccan football with FUS Rabat and knows Regragui personally, had prepared his team brilliantly.
"I spent most of my career here. My life is here, I know the Moroccan style," Gamondi acknowledged before the match. He also delivered a message that captured his squad's mentality: "It's our dream, and nobody can stop us from believing and dreaming. If you don't have a dream, it doesn't make sense to sleep too much."
Tanzania's president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, had sent her best wishes before kick-off after the Taifa Stars made history just by reaching this stage—their first knockout appearance in 45 years, achieved with just two points from the group stage.
They leave Morocco with heads held high. "The first task is accomplished," Gamondi had said after qualification. Tonight's result doesn't diminish what this group achieved. Feisal Salum's goals, Novatus Miroshi's midfield craft, the defensive resilience that frustrated Nigeria, Tunisia, and for an hour at least, Morocco itself—these will be remembered in Dar es Salaam.
What comes next
Morocco march on, but Regragui knows the scrutiny will only intensify. Asked recently about criticism that his team relies too heavily on Diaz, the coach responded with characteristic bluntness: "If we are too dependent on Brahim and he brings home the AFCON, then I will be the happiest."
Hard to argue with that logic. Diaz has now scored in every match of this tournament. His four goals equal the Moroccan record for a single AFCON edition. If he adds a fifth, the history books will need updating.
The quarter-finals await. South Africa or Cameroon, whoever emerges from Sunday's late kick-off, will face a Morocco side that just passed its first true test of these knockout rounds. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't comfortable, but Regragui's men found a way.
Sometimes that's all that matters.