Under the floodlights at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the CHAN 2024 Tanzania vs Morocco quarter-final offered a tense, compelling drama that ended with Morocco edging co-hosts Tanzania 1-0 to reach the semifinals. For the Atlas Lions, it was validation of pedigree and patience. For the Taifa Stars, it was a brave exit that still felt like a beginning.
How the night was decided in Dar es Salaam
The match began at a blistering pace, the kind that grabs a crowd by the collar and does not let go. Tanzania, buoyed by the home support, fashioned the first big opening inside five minutes when Clement Mzize, fed by Feisal Salum, flashed a long-range effort just wide. Morocco replied instantly through Oussama Lamlioui, whose low drive was smothered by goalkeeper Yakoub Suleiman in the 10th minute.
As the first half settled into a rhythm, Morocco’s Sabir Bougrine and Ayoub Mehri combined to carve out chances, though Bougrine’s shot rippled the side netting. Tanzania’s brightest moments continued to flow through the combination of Mzize and Salum, and on the half-hour mark Salum, known as Fei Toto, nearly produced a moment of magic with a backheel flick that El Mehdi Al Harrar pushed away. Morocco stirred before the interval, yet Suleiman’s reflexes kept the game goalless at the break.
After halftime, Morocco seized the initiative with control and purpose. Lamlioui twice threatened early in the half, and Morocco captain Mohamed Hrimat forced Suleiman into action with a towering header around the 53rd minute. The breakthrough, when it came, showcased Moroccan precision and speed of thought.
In the 65th minute, Youssef Belammari delivered a pinpoint ball across the area and Lamlioui arrived in stride to finish from close range. The goal sent Morocco into celebration and briefly hushed a crowd that had willed their team forward. Tanzania still came, with Mzize, and later Abdul Hamisi Suleiman, searching for an equaliser, but Morocco’s rearguard refused to crack.
The final act offered one last Tanzanian flourish, including a daring chip from Abdul Hamisi that drifted wide. Al Harrar, confident and clean in his handling, and a defence marshalled with composure, saw Morocco through a hard-fought victory. The story of a single goal, decided by timing and detail, closed a contest that had little between the teams.
The tactical story behind Morocco’s edge
This quarter-final was more than intensity, it was a chess match. Tanzania set up in a structured 4-3-3, seeking balance through the thirds with Suleiman in goal, full-backs pushing on, and a midfield triangle anchored by Yahya Abasi, while Salum and Yusuph Kagoma joined attacks at opportune moments. Up front, the speed of Iddy Nado and Abdul Hamisi around Mzize aimed to stretch Morocco horizontally and vertically.
Morocco operated from a fluid 4-4-2 that morphed into a 3-1-2-4 in possession, with Al Harrar calm behind a line featuring Mohammed Boulacsout on the right, Belammari on the left, and central stoppers who stepped out to circulate. Hrimat dropped to knit the build-up, while Mehri and the wide players provided width, and Bougrine floated between lines behind Lamlioui. The plan was clear, quick transitions into the channels and early deliveries that target intelligent runs in the box.
Set-pieces and restarts mattered, and they underpinned the decisive moment. A swift restart in the 65th minute released Belammari down the left and his low cross was finished by Lamlioui. That sequence captured Morocco’s method, rapid execution, wide overloads, and a final pass with purpose, a reminder that matches at this level hinge on moments that are rehearsed as much as they are improvised.
Tanzania adjusted by introducing Nassor Saadun for Kagoma to add energy in midfield and by pushing the full-backs higher when chasing the game. Morocco countered with Mohamed Moufid to steady the right side and later added Amine Souane for composure in midfield. By the 81st minute, Morocco had controlled most of the possession and led the second-half shot count, their management of space and tempo gradually suffocating Tanzania’s late pressure.
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Heroes in defeat and the Atlas Lions’ steel
For Tanzania, Suleiman stood tallest. He raced from his line to snuff out clear sights of goal, saved a fierce header from a free-kick, and kept the Taifa Stars alive long enough to make the match a true contest. In front of him, Dickson Job and Ibrahim Hamad fought for every aerial ball, and the full-backs worked relentlessly to balance width with defensive awareness.
Mzize carried a constant threat, using pace and movement to ask questions of Morocco’s back line, while Salum’s touches between the lines knitted possession into dangerous territory. On another night, one of those moments, especially the one-on-one before halftime, might have tilted the narrative. The margins in tournament football are that thin, and Tanzania’s creators grazed those margins often enough to believe.
Morocco’s resilience shone in the closing stretch. Al Harrar answered every query with steady hands. In the trenches, Mchakhchekh and Anas dominated the air, and when the flanks needed help, the wide men tracked back to turn Tanzania’s crosses into contested moments rather than open invitations. It was the kind of collective effort that championships are built on.
A campaign that changed how Tanzania believes
Defeat should not obscure what came before it. Tanzania topped Group B unbeaten with three wins and a draw, then stepped into knockout football for the first time and proved they belonged. They startled Burkina Faso, edged Mauritania with late drama, and outplayed Madagascar in the group, then went toe to toe with the pre-tournament favourites in Dar es Salaam.
There is also the defensive ledger, a measure of discipline and structure. Under Hemed Suleiman, the Taifa Stars conceded only two goals across five matches, a testament to organisation, commitment, and an understanding of roles. The crowd felt that connection, and it is why the applause at the final whistle echoed pride as much as pain.
Pre-match, Suleiman had framed the task with admirable clarity, attack with intent, defend with everything, respect Morocco but fear no one. His players honoured that message. What remains is the memory of a team that gave a tournament its heartbeat and a nation its belief.
Banter, neighbours and a stadium rumour
East African rivalry added a charged subtext to this tie. With Kenya eliminated earlier, many Harambee Stars fans threw their weight behind Morocco, a mix of footballing banter and regional one-upmanship that spilled across social platforms. When the final whistle confirmed a 1-0 Moroccan win, Kenyans found cause for celebration, even without their own team on the field.
The build-up featured a rumour that Kenyan supporters had bought out tickets in Dar es Salaam to drown out the home crowd. Tanzania’s government moved quickly to dismiss it, assuring fans that access to the stadium would not be an issue. Government spokesperson Gerson Musigwa called the story fabricated and insisted the terraces would remain open to the home support.
“Those are our neighbours, I hope you know who I am talking about. They are not even part of our fixture tomorrow, yet they are making noise.”
He added that fans should come to the gates confident of entry. The atmosphere on the night matched that assurance, a cauldron of colour and sound that rose and fell with every save, sprint and tackle. In a tournament where local passion has been a defining character, Dar es Salaam did not disappoint.
What it means for Morocco
The Atlas Lions advanced to the last four and will face either Uganda or Senegal at the Nelson Mandela Stadium. It is another stride in a competition they know intimately, with titles in 2018 and 2020 and a habit of navigating knockout matches with clarity. They also joined Madagascar in booking a semifinal spot on this quarter-final day.
There is historical weight behind this charge. Morocco extended a remarkable CHAN trend, seven straight knockout victories since 2014, underlining a culture of consistency when elimination looms. This quarter-final demanded nerve as much as flair, and the Atlas Lions found both in the decisive moments.
What it means for Tanzania
The end of a fair run does not mean the end of the road. Tanzania will be at AFCON 2025, a stage to carry forward the lessons of structure, courage, and the spark of Mzize and Salum in the final third. The calendar brings more tests soon, with World Cup qualifiers against Congo Republic and Niger in the first international window of the 2025–26 season.
The foundation is there, and the returns are measurable. Tanzania were among the best-organised teams at CHAN 2024, and their evolution, from disciplined mid-block to brave late pressing, showed a maturity that should translate beyond this tournament. For a nation still writing its modern football story, this quarter-final is a chapter that will age well.
The turning points in three snapshots
- this is how it’s done, Mzize’s early sighter and Salum’s audacious backheel set the tone for a fearless Tanzania,
- this is how it’s done squared, Suleiman’s double intervention after the restart kept the door open just long enough for belief to linger,
- this is how it’s done cubed, Belammari’s 65th-minute service and Lamlioui’s finish provided the game’s one clean cut, and Morocco’s game management closed the circle.
History, recent meetings and perspective
The record books favoured Morocco before a ball was kicked, with six victories in the previous seven meetings. Recent clashes also leaned the same way, with a 2-0 Morocco win in FIFA World Cup qualifying and a 3-0 result at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year. On this night, the pattern held, but the margins were smaller and the contest more even.
That nuance matters, because it explains why Tanzania leave with their heads high. They stretched a heavyweight, made it uncomfortable in long spells, and did so with a conviction that will survive this disappointment. It is how tournaments change teams, a hard night that softens nothing about the future.
Final word
Morocco move on, hunting another crown with the quiet confidence of a team that understands knockout football. Tanzania bow out, but not before teaching a packed stadium and a watching region something about resilience and ambition. One goal decided the match, yet the wider story was richer.
From the first chance to the last, from Suleiman’s defiance to Lamlioui’s poise, this quarter-final captured what makes CHAN special. The Atlas Lions roar into the semifinals. The Taifa Stars leave a resonance that will echo into AFCON and beyond, a reminder that progress is not always measured by medals, sometimes it is measured by belief.
