Morocco was held in check by Mali this Sunday during the last match of the international truce of both selections.
Ten months after their previous confrontation at CAN 2025 in Rabat, Morocco and Mali left back to back (1-1) this Sunday in a friendly atmosphere at the Grand Stadium in Tangier, at the end of their respective gatherings. A result that costs the Atlas Lions a lot from the FIFA ranking.
Mohamed Ouahbi made five changes from the 11 in line with Lesotho (0-2). Exit Zakaria El Ouahdi, Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Noussair Mazraoui injury package, Osama Targhalline and Brahim Diaz. Ali Maamar, Nayef Aguerd back from injury, Anass Salah-Eddine, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Ez Abde were popular in their places.
On the Malian side, Anthony Da Silva aligned Mamadou Samassa in the goals. In defense, Ousmane Camara was moved to the right side post in the absence of Hamari Traoré, replacing the kick-off, while Check Keïta started in the hinge. In the middle, Amadou Haidara and Lassana Coulibaly were preferred to Aliou Dieng and Kamory Doumbia. Finally, in point, Lassine Sinayoko left room for Mamadou Doumbia.
Ez Abde launches Morocco on the right track
Both teams announced the colour from the third minute of the game. Mali responded to a Moroccan slalom by a dry strike slammed by Yassine Bounou on his right.
Morocco will gradually rise in power. Bouaddi will break an opposing line ball to the foot to shift Ismaël Saibari to the right. The Bavarian will shoot Samassa (20th). Three minutes later, Ez Abde will be too short to take over a centre of Azzedine Unahi from the left (23'). The winger of the Betis will then see his recovery against the point of penalty by Adama Camara (28th).
The Malians will nevertheless place some opportunities, like Angel Martial Tia. The Remois will erase Aguerd with a small bridge to appear in front of Yassine Bounou before the tab in extremis of Bouaddi (31st).
Morocco will logically open the score through Ez Abde. Two minutes later, the winger of the Betis will do justice on a penalty which he himself provoked (35th).
Mali returns thanks to its replacements
On a centre coming from the left, Mamadou Doumbia will be too short to take the ball back to the second pole (40'). Morocco will push for shelter. Ez Abde will regain his head above (42nd). Unahi will unscrew his recovery (45'), while Bilal El Khannouss will force Samassa to turn a shaved corner strike (62').
Ouahbi will bring Brahim Diaz and Sufiane Rahimi in place of Ez Abde and Saibari (65'). On the Malian side, Ousmane Diakité, Gaoussou Diarra, Émile Doucouré, Amadou Dante, Aliou Dieng and K. Doumbia will play successively, replacing A. Haidara on injury, Dorgeles Nene, Samassa, Daouda Guindo, Mamadou Sangaré and L. Coulibaly respectively.
These changes will reinvigorate the Eagles, which are increasingly threatening. Bounou thus slammed a heavy strike over his cross-section (72'), before granting equalization five minutes later. The opportunity for Dante to take back under the bar a free kick kicked right by G. Diarra (77').
Morocco loses fifth place in FIFA standings
Ouahbi will react with the bench releases of El Ouahdi (80'), Gessime Yassine (80') and Tawfik Bentayeb in the game stops (90'+3). In vain, the score will remain there.
As at CAN 2025, Morocco gets hooked on its lawn with an identical score of 1-1. A counter-performance that pays cash in the FIFA ranking, the Cherifians going down to seventh place, Brazil and Portugal returning to their front. Mali has a loser who is worth a victory.
