In front of a sold-out crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium—which included star guest Kylian Mbappé in the stands—the match proved to be a tactical battle between two of the continent's heavyweights.
Morocco took the lead deep into first-half stoppage time. After a VAR review confirmed a handball by Mali’s Nathan Gassama, Brahim Diaz stepped up to smash the penalty home, sending the home fans into a frenzy. It was Diaz’s second goal of the tournament following his strike against Comoros.
However, Mali refused to back down. The "Eagles" adjusted their tactics in the second half and found their reward in the 64th minute. Following another VAR intervention for a foul by Jawad El Yamiq on Lassine Sinayoko, the Malian forward clinicaly converted the resulting penalty to silence the Rabat crowd.
Despite late pressure from Walid Regragui’s men, including a header from Youssef En-Nesyri that went narrowly wide, the Malian defense held firm to earn a vital point.
The draw ends Morocco’s impressive winning streak but keeps them at the top of Group A with four points. Mali sits level with Zambia on two points, making the final matchday a "must-win" scenario for the West Africans.