By Our Man in Rabat
THE newly-renovated Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium was meant to be the stage for a Moroccan coronation, but Mali hadn’t read the script as they fought back to earn a gritty 1-1 draw in the capital.
Just seven kilometres from the heart of Rabat, the gleaming 70,000-capacity arena—inaugurated only months ago—was a sea of red and green as the home faithful turned out in force.
Even Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé was spotted in the VIP boxes, invited by his pal Achraf Hakimi to witness the spectacle in the stadium’s state-of-the-art luxury.
But for all the Berber-inspired architecture and world-class facilities, the Atlas Lions found themselves frustrated by a stubborn Malian side that refused to be intimidated by the “cauldron” atmosphere of the tournament’s premier venue.
The deadlock was broken just before the break, and it took a VAR intervention to ignite the Rabat crowd. Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz was the hero of the moment, winning and then coolly converting a spot-kick in first-half stoppage time after a handball by Mali’s Nathan Gassama.
The stadium nearly lifted off its foundations as Diaz’s strike hit the back of the net, seemingly putting the hosts on the fast track to the knockout stages.
However, the second half proved that even the most modern stadium can’t win a game for you. In the 61st minute, the atmosphere turned from celebratory to stunned silence.
Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko—the man who always seems to haunt the big teams—was hauled down by a clumsy Jawad El Yamiq challenge.
Another VAR review, another penalty, and Sinayoko made no mistake, silencing the 70,000-strong crowd with a clinical finish past Bono.
Morocco threw everything they had at the Eagles in the final twenty minutes.
Youssef En-Nesyri had the best chance to restore the lead, but his effort was brilliantly saved by Djigui Diarra, much to the agony of the home fans. The result ends Morocco’s historic 19-game winning streak and leaves Group A wide open.
While the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium passed its biggest test with flying colors as a world-class venue, Walid Regragui’s men left the pitch knowing they have work to do.
The Atlas Lions remain top with four points, but with the pressure of a home crowd and a stadium built for champions, anything less than a win in their next outing will be seen as a national disaster.
