The hosts booked their place in the quarterfinals of the 35th edition with a narrow 1-0 victory over the stubborn Tanzania at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Despite playing behind a supportive, packed crowd, Morocco struggled to break down the Taifa Stars, with the first half ending 0-0. Morocco then thought they had scored the opener minutes after the restart when Ismail Saibari finished from close range, but it was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
However, their goal arrived when Brahim Diaz dribbled from a tight angle before beating Tanzania's goalkeeper with a low-footed effort, which squeezed between his legs.
First half was not good enough
“We knew it was not going to be easy, judging by the matches we saw the previous day, even if we thought it might be more straightforward. The first half was not good, but I recognised my team much more in the second half. The most important thing is qualification,” Regragui told reporters.
“We were not at our level completely, especially in the first half. We wasted numerous chances. There were many technical errors and a lot of tension. We didn't get into the rhythm of the game, and we could have been surprised.”
He added: “After that, we increased the tempo and created many chances, and there was pressure. We always have someone watching and pressuring us, and we don’t pay attention to that, which makes us start to doubt ourselves.”
Regragui concluded: "We scored at the best possible time, which is good. A match like this helps us get into the knockout stage mindset. As a coach, I am never satisfied with what we presented in the first half. Thanks to the fans who pushed us, and now we will focus on the quarter-finals.”
Discussing the situation of midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, Regragui said: “As for Ounahi, he picked up an injury in training and is out of the Africa Cup of Nations. We are losing an exceptional player and a leader in our dressing room, but we will continue to fight for him.”
Tanzania coach Miguel Gamondi praised the players for their display despite the defeat. He said: “I am so proud of what my team produced. So proud of my players, both in their attitude and tactically.
“They showed that the gap between Morocco and us is not as big as people think. We will come back stronger; I am convinced of that.”
Diaz, who has so far scored four goals at AFCON and was voted man of the match, said: “The competition is growing in intensity, and we have just faced our toughest opposition so far against this Tanzanian team.
“Not everything worked, we know that, but fortunately, we managed to secure our qualification. Now we will go back to work to be fully ready for the quarter-finals.”
Morocco will now face Cameroon in the last eight. The Indomitable Lions reached the stage following their 2-1 win against South Africa.
Goals from defender Junior Tchamadeu in the 34th minute and Christian Kofane two minutes after the restart in the second half gave Cameroon the advantage before Evidence Makgopa pulled one back for Bafana Bafana two minutes from regulation time.
