The home team controlled possession from the outset, with captain Achraf Hakimi starting his first match of the tournament and Noussair Mazraoui deployed in central defence. Despite early dominance, Morocco struggled to carve out clear chances against a well-organized Tanzanian defence.

Tanzania, meanwhile, nearly shocked the hosts in the opening minutes, testing Morocco’s focus in transitional moments.

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Morocco thought they had opened the scoring twice in the first half. Ismail Saibari headed in from close range in the 14th minute, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside. Later, Ayoub El Kaabi’s diving header narrowly missed the target as the Atlas Lions continued to press.

Tanzania also threatened sporadically, with Mohamed Husseini blazing over from a promising position and a well-struck free-kick keeping the crowd on edge.

The breakthrough finally came just past the hour mark. Hakimi’s clever run down the right flank allowed him to pick out Diaz inside the box. The Real Madrid forward cut inside and slotted home from a tight angle, his fourth goal of the tournament, igniting celebrations across the packed stadium.

Diaz’s strike underscored his importance to Morocco’s ambitions and gave the hosts a slender but vital lead.

As the game entered its final stages, Tanzania pressed for an equalizer, and the encounter turned increasingly physical. Morocco made tactical changes, bringing on Youssef En-Nesyri and Eliesse Ben Seghir to maintain energy in attack, while keeping their defence solid. Despite late pressure, the Atlas Lions held firm and claimed the win.

Morocco will now face Cameroon at the Stade Al Madina in Rabat, keeping their hopes of lifting the continental trophy very much alive.