Morocco qualified to the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championship after defeating Malawi (2-1) on Tuesday evening at Yaounde's Ahmedou Ahidjo Stadium.
Malawi scored a remarkable goal thanks to Frank Mahango, who struck goalkeeper Yassine Bono with a long shot in the seventh minute. In the 23rd minute, the same player blew a serious opportunity from the left side by firing a hurried shot that passed close to Bono's goal's left post. Minutes later, Malawi goalkeeper Charles Thom spectacularly stopped a fantastic free-kick by Achraf Hakimi. Three minutes before the conclusion of the first half, Hakimi hit the post and goalkeeper again, before Youssef Ennseyri equalized with a header in the second minute of extra time following a cross pass from Salim Amlah.
The second half began with Vahid Khalilozic, Ryan Mmaee, replacing Ayoub Al Kaabi in the 53rd minute, making it the first striker's appearance with the Moroccan national team in the African Nations Cup. In the 70th minute, Hakimi scored the game-winning goal with a stunning free-kick strike that reached the top corner of Thom's goal. Mmaee broke through close to the Malawian goal in the 74th minute and passed to Ennesyri, who struck the side of the goal. In the 80th minute, Vahid Halilhodzic replaced Imran Louza and Sofiane Boufal with Ayman Barkouk and Munir El Haddadi.
The Moroccan team, who won a title once before in 1976, will face the winner of the match between Egypt and Ivory Coast on Wednesday in the quarter-finals.
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