Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s Taifa Stars bowed out of the Africa Cup of Nations at the Round of 16 stage after a hard-fought 1–0 defeat to tournament favourites Morocco at a packed Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday night, January 4, 2026.
Despite being clear underdogs, the Stars delivered a disciplined and courageous performance, pushing one of Africa’s strongest sides to the limit.
The Atlas Lions dominated possession for large spells of the contest, but found Tanzania’s defence well organised and difficult to break down.
The East Africans frustrated Morocco throughout the first half, restricting them to half-chances and forcing them to rely on crosses and long-range efforts.
Morocco thought they had taken an early lead in the 15th minute when Ismael Saibari found the net, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for offside, much to the relief of the Tanzanian bench.
That moment appeared to galvanise Taifa Stars, who grew in confidence and began to threaten on the counter-attack.
Tanzania came close to taking a shock lead when Simon Msuva headed wide from close range, while Feisal Salum also missed a golden opportunity shortly after the break.
Those missed chances would later prove costly against a side of Morocco’s quality.
The decisive moment arrived in the 64th minute when Brahim Diaz produced a moment of individual brilliance, cutting inside and firing past goalkeeper Hussein Masalanga after a well-timed assist from Achraf Hakimi.
It was a goal that ultimately separated the two teams.
To their credit, Taifa Stars did not collapse after conceding. Head coach Miguel Gamondi made tactical changes, introducing Mbwana Samatta, as Tanzania searched for an equaliser.
However, Morocco’s experience and game management saw them slow the tempo and protect their narrow advantage.
Goalkeeper Masalanga was one of Tanzania’s standout performers, making several crucial saves to keep the scoreline respectable.
The defensive pairing of Ibrahim Bacca, Bakari Nondo Mwamnyeto and Dickson Job also impressed, repeatedly throwing their bodies on the line against relentless Moroccan pressure.
As the final whistle blew, Moroccan fans celebrated progression to the quarter-finals, while Tanzania left the pitch to applause for a performance full of heart, discipline and belief.
Although elimination will sting, Taifa Stars can take pride in their AFCON campaign.
Reaching the Round of 16 and competing toe-to-toe with a football powerhouse like Morocco underlines the progress being made in Tanzanian football.
