Tournament hosts Morocco secured their spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semifinals with a dominant 2-0 victory over Cameroon on Friday night.

In the other quarterfinal fixture, Senegal advanced after defeating Mali.

Playing before a raucous crowd of 64,000 fans at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the Atlas Lions delivered an inspired performance to end a 22-year wait for a semifinal appearance.

Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz opened the scoring, while Ismael Saibari sealed the win in the second half.

Brahim Diaz Makes History

With his opening goal, Brahim Diaz etched his name into the record books. He became the first Moroccan player ever to score five goals in a single AFCON edition.

Furthermore, he is the only player in the last 57 years to score in each of his first five matches of the tournament.

Match Highlights

• 26th Minute: Morocco took the lead after a corner from Achraf Hakimi was flicked on by Ayoub El Kaabi toward the near post. Diaz was perfectly positioned to tap the ball into the net.
• 74th Minute: The hosts doubled their lead when PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ismael Saibari controlled a pass from Abde Ezzalzouli and fired home from the back post.

Morocco will now look ahead to their semifinal clash scheduled for this coming Wednesday.