Morocco Progress To AFCON Semi-finals As Diaz Scores Again In 2-0 Win Over Cameroon

Morocco moved into the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals for the first time since 2004, defeating Cameroon 2-0 at Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah on Friday, with Brahim Diaz again on target as AFCON hosts

controlled a contest where Cameroon failed to produce a single shot on target across the full 90 minutes.

Diaz’s opener and Ismael Saibari’s late strike secured a fourth victory of this AFCON campaign, equalling Morocco’s best win total at a single Africa Cup of Nations edition, matching tallies from 1976 and 2004, and setting up a semi-final meeting with either Algeria or Nigeria for a place in the final.

Diaz arrived at this tie as the tournament’s leading scorer and strengthened that position further with another decisive goal, while the on-loan AC Milan midfielder also entered AFCON history by becoming just the fourth player to score in five separate matches at one Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

This scoring sequence places Diaz alongside DR Congo’s Ndaye Mulamba in 1974, Egypt’s Gedo in 2010 and Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar in 2022, underlining the consistency of Morocco’s attacking leader and maintaining strong momentum in the pursuit of the Golden Boot as AFCON moves into its final week.

Morocco’s performance was supported by the numbers, with Walid Regragui’s team generating an expected goals (xG) total of 1.44 from nine attempts, compared with Cameroon’s xG of 0.42 from five efforts, none of which tested Devis Epassy, marking only the second time since 2010 that Cameroon completed an AFCON match without a shot on target.

The disciplined defensive display restricted Cameroon to speculative situations, while Morocco controlled territory and tempo for long spells, reflecting both the xG disparity and the eventual scoreline, as Regragui’s side converted pressure into goals and rarely appeared threatened by the Indomitable Lions across either half.

Both teams needed time to settle during a cautious opening spell, yet once Morocco increased the tempo, the breakthrough came on 25 minutes when Achraf Hakimi’s corner from the right was flicked on by Ayoub El Kaabi, allowing Diaz to guide a close-range finish beyond Epassy from inside the six-yard box.

Morocco chased a second before half-time, with Abde Ezzalzouli cutting inside from the left and hitting the side-netting, then El Kaabi replicating that action in first-half stoppage time, as Cameroon struggled to clear sustained pressure and rarely advanced in numbers against Morocco’s organised defensive structure.

After the interval, clear chances became fewer for Regragui’s side, though Ezzalzouli went close again with a near-post header from another Hakimi corner that narrowly cleared the crossbar, signalling Morocco’s continued threat from set pieces even during a more controlled, game-management phase of the second half.

The decisive second goal arrived in the 74th minute, when Ezzalzouli’s free-kick clipped the head of Nayef Aguerd and dropped invitingly for Saibari, who drove a fierce shot past Epassy, effectively confirming Morocco’s passage into the last four and ending any realistic prospect of a late Cameroonian response.

5 - Players to score in five separate matches at a single CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament: 1974 - Ndaye Mulamba for DR Congo 2010 - Gedo for Egypt 2022 - Vincent Aboubakar for Cameroon 2025 - Brahim Daz for Morocco Stars. pic.twitter.com/TBhMXcoqhBOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 9, 2026

Morocco’s display combined clinical finishing from Diaz and Saibari with controlled possession, solid pressing and efficient set-piece use, leaving the AFCON hosts one match from the final and maintaining confidence as Algeria or Nigeria await in the semi-finals following this disciplined 2-0 triumph over Cameroon.