Key events
Some great images from inside the respective dressing rooms – Morocco are quiet, tense but focused, while Cameroon players are dancing and banging drums. An indication of where the pressure lies.
“Do you still see Morocco as favourites, compared to Nigeria or Ivory Coast?” asks Zach Neeley. “Or is that a holdover from pre-tournament prognostication?”
Yes, it’s more the burden of being hosts and favourites – they haven’t been the best team so far in the tournament, although they’re certainly good enough to go on and win it all.
Team news
Cameroon (3-4-2-1): Epassy; Malone, Kotto, Tolo (c); Tchamadeu, Avom, Baleba, Nagida; Mbeumo, Namaso; Kofane.
Subs from: Medjo, Wooh, Nyamsi, Nkoudou, Onana, Magri, Bassogog, Soko, Ngameni, Kemen, Etta Eyong, Boyomos, Ngapandouetnbu, Ebimbe, Kamdem.
Morocco (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi (c), Aguerd, Masina, Mazraoui; El Khannous, , El Aynaoui, Ezzalzouli; Saibari, El Kaabi, Brahim Díaz.
Subs from: Amrabat, Hamza, Rahimi, Mohamedi, Ben Seghir, Targhaline, Chibi, Chakkour, El Yamiq, En-Nesyri, Talbi, Harrar, Salah-Eddine, Ait Boudlal, Belammari.
Channel 4’s coverage has expanded for the quarter-finals, with studio analysis from Jay-Jay Okocha and Jon Obi Mikel. It’s still parked on E4 though, with A Place in the Sun currently showing on the main channel.
Full time: Mali 0-1 Senegal
Senegal hold on to defeat 10-man Mali after a lively second half where both teams spurned chances to score. Iliman Ndiaye got the only goal in the first half, pouncing on a goalkeeping error before Yves Bissouma was sent off after picking up two bookings. Next up for Senegal: either Egypt or Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals.
Preamble
It’s crunch time at the Africa Cup of Nations, with the continent’s biggest teams assembling in a historically heavyweight line-up. With Senegal closing on victory over Mali in the first quarter-final, the seven sides left will all be former champions, with 22 continental titles between them.
That leaves Morocco, the hosts and highest-ranked team, under severe pressure to deliver a first title since 1976. The Atlas Lions cannot shake off their status as favourites, but the path to glory could scarcely be more perilous. Get through today’s battle, and either in-form Nigeria or neighbours Algeria are up next.
Not that Morocco can afford to get ahead of themselves. Cameroon may be the lowest-ranked side left, having failed to reach the 2026 World Cup, but they are unbeaten and have a breakout star in striker Christian Kofane. If Morocco repeat their nervous display against Tanzania in the last 16, they are likely to be punished.