Casablanca – Morocco were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali on Sunday evening at the Grand Stade de Tanger, bringing their October international window to a close without defeat.
Abdessamad Ezzalzouli gave the Atlas Lions the lead in the 35th minute from the penalty spot. The winger had won the penalty himself after Amadou Haidara brought him down inside the area, before stepping up to convert and send Morocco into halftime with a narrow advantage.
Mohamed Ouahbi’s side looked to build on the opener after the break, but Mali stayed in the contest and eventually found their response.
Gaoussou Diarra pulled the Eagles level in the 77th minute, cancelling out Ezzalzouli’s goal and leaving Morocco searching for a late winner.
The Atlas Lions pushed for a second in the closing stages but could not find a way through, with the friendly ending level at 1-1.
More than 65,000 supporters attended the match in Tangier, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the evening as Morocco returned to the Grand Stade de Tanger.
The result ends a productive international window for Ouahbi’s team. Morocco opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Gabon in Rabat before recording another 2-0 win against Lesotho in Bloemfontein.
Sunday’s friendly gave Ouahbi another opportunity to assess his options outside competitive action, with several players featuring across the match.
Mali had stepped in for the fixture after Ghana withdrew from the originally scheduled friendly.
Morocco therefore finish the window with two victories and one draw, scoring five goals while conceding only once across their three matches.
