Morocco 1-1 Mali: Hosts held as Sinayoko spot-kick ensures spoils are shared
Lassine Sinayoko calmly converted a penalty in the second half, allowing Mali to secure a draw against the Africa Cup of Nations hosts, Morocco, in Rabat tonight.
Brahim Diaz’s debatable opening goal, also from the penalty spot, had given Walid Regragui’s squad the lead at halftime, but Mali’s relentless effort paid off as Sinayoko found the net past Yassine Bounou to clinch their second consecutive 1-1 stalemate.
Morocco, backed by Real Madrid and France star Kylian Mbappe, remains in the lead of Group A with four points from two matches and is nearly guaranteed a spot in the knockout phase, yet they failed to validate their status as favorites in the tournament.
Real Madrid midfielder Diaz provided a steadying influence in a chaotic match, curling a free-kick over the goal just four minutes in. Shortly after the 15-minute mark, he had another excellent opportunity but his low effort was expertly saved by Djigui Diarra.
Ayoub El Kaabi headed over the crossbar in the 43rd minute, making it appear that Morocco’s dominance would be unrewarded before half-time. However, as Diaz sprinted down the right flank, he was partially impeded by the stumbling Nathan Gassama. In attempting to maintain his balance, Gassama was deemed to have handled the ball, prompting referee Abdou Abdel Mefire to point to the penalty spot.
Although the decision seemed quite unjust, Diaz took full advantage, placing the penalty securely into the bottom left corner.
Mali made a comeback
Mali equalized 13 minutes into the second half. Sinayoko charged through the Morocco defense only to be taken down by Nayef Aguerd. In a surprising turn, Mefire initially allowed play to continue but reversed his call after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Sinayoko completed the scoring by placing his shot beneath Bono, marking the first goal Morocco has conceded in 918 minutes.
Veteran striker Youssef En-Nesyri was introduced to add more physicality to the Morocco attack, nearly making an impact as he fought for a shooting opportunity, but his low attempt was brilliantly stopped by Diarra.
Mali faced one more close call, and this time it was self-inflicted.
With just a few minutes remaining of the ten added on, Woyo Coulibaly tried a risky backward header under minimal pressure, compelling Diarra to execute a remarkable one-handed save low to his right.
Published: 2025-12-26 22:31:00
source: www.101greatgoals.com
