Morocco vs Tanzania prediction 04.01.2026 | Africa Cup of Nations

Morocco moved through the group stage with little real anxiety, topping Group A with seven points from three matches.

Walid Regragui’s side took care of business against Comoros with a 2-0 win and swept aside Zambia 3-0, results most observers expected. The 1-1 draw with Mali was more testing, and perhaps more useful as a reference point.

There is, however, a quiet question around Morocco in knockout games. The Atlas Lions have won only two of their last three round-of-16 matches, and the most recent ended in a 2-0 defeat to South Africa in 2023. That result still lingers in the background.

Achraf Hakimi made his first appearance of the tournament off the bench against Zambia and is pushing for a start. Up front, Brahim Díaz and Youssef En-Nesyri have carried the threat so far, combining for six goals, and should line up together again.

Tanzania made it into the round of 16 with fewer points than anyone else left in the tournament, picking up just two from three group matches. If you watched those games, the path makes sense.

Sami Trabelsi’s side began with a tight 2-1 defeat to Nigeria, then ground out consecutive 1-1 draws against Uganda and Tunisia. Nothing flashy, however it did the job. Sometimes survival is all you need at this stage.

This is uncharted territory for the Taifa Stars, who are playing in the knockout phase of AFCON for the first time. There is excitement, maybe even freedom, though history offers little comfort.

Tanzania have lost their last four meetings with Morocco. On the plus side, the squad is fully fit. Feisal Salum will keep his number 10 role after scoring his first goal of the tournament against Tunisia, and much of Tanzania’s hope flows through him.