Atlas Lions held as Mali ruin Morocco’s perfect AFCON start

By PM News

Hosts Morocco were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against a resilient Mali on Friday night in a tense Group A encounter at the 1xBet Official Sponsor AFCON 2025.

Buoyed by their opening win over Comoros, Morocco dominated proceedings for large spells, dictating the tempo and pinning Mali deep with sustained possession and waves of pressure.

The Atlas Lions created several clear-cut chances in the first half, with Brahim Díaz twice going close and Ayoub El Kaabi squandering a gilt-edged header from close range.

Morocco’s persistence was eventually rewarded on the stroke of half-time when the referee, after a VAR review, awarded a penalty for a handball in the box. Díaz stepped up and showed composure, drilling his effort into the bottom corner to give the hosts a deserved 1-0 lead at the interval.

However, Mali emerged after the break with renewed belief and greater physical intensity, disrupting Morocco’s rhythm and contesting every ball in midfield.

The Eagles’ improved approach paid off just after the hour mark when another VAR intervention swung the momentum of the match.

Following a lengthy review, Mali were awarded a penalty after Lassine Sinayoko went down under a challenge. Despite protests from the Moroccan players, Sinayoko kept his nerve, sending goalkeeper Bono the wrong way to level the scores at 1-1 and silence the home crowd.

The equaliser transformed the contest into a gripping finale. Morocco pressed relentlessly for a winner, introducing fresh attacking options from the bench and forcing a succession of corners.

Jawad El Yamiq came agonisingly close with a towering header that drifted inches wide, while Eliesse Ben Seghir’s late free kick was brilliantly saved by Djigui Diarra.

Mali, for their part, defended with discipline and organisation, absorbing pressure and slowing the game whenever possible.