By Kunle Solaja, Marrakech

On the eve of a potentially epic quarter-final confrontation between Algeria and Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, Marrakech opened its doors to the world’s football media with effortless grace. I arrived in Morocco alongside fellow journalists from across continents, guests of the Moroccan National Association of Media and Publishers, whose hospitality framed the journey as much as the destination.

Our passage from Casablanca to Marrakech unfolded in daylight, aboard a convoy of luxurious Mercedes-Benz VIP minibuses.

The sun revealed Morocco in motion — long ribbons of highway, ochre plains stretching into the distance, and towns gently easing into one another. It was a journey that allowed you to see the country breathe, unhurried and confident, as conversations flowed easily among journalists already trading predictions, story angles and football folklore.

By the time we rolled onto M Avenue, Marrakech was fully awake and radiant. Cafés hummed with late-afternoon chatter, terraces glowed under the sun, and the clean lines of modern storefronts reflected a city that has mastered the art of blending tradition with contemporary flair. Rising confidently along the boulevard was our destination for the night: Pestana CR7 Marrakech, the sleek lifestyle hotel co-owned by global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo.

Even in daylight, the hotel made a statement. Contemporary without being intimidating, stylish without excess, it carried a quiet assurance — the same kind of self-belief associated with the footballer whose name crowns its identity.

Inside, the lobby revealed a carefully calibrated welcome. Cool minimalism met Moroccan warmth in a space that felt instantly calming. There were no overbearing football motifs, no ostentatious shrine to trophies. Instead, the CR7 presence was refined and restrained — clean lines, muted tones, and an atmosphere of precision that suggested excellence as a standard, not a spectacle.

An image of Cristiano Ronaldo at the lobby, gesturing as if welcoming the guests.

Check-in was disarmingly smooth. The formalities had been concluded even before our arrival. A simple mention of one’s surname was enough for the room key to be produced — an elegant touch that immediately made a weary traveller feel expected rather than processed.

Along the ground floor walls, framed images of Ronaldo offered subtle visual punctuation. Moving toward the corridor that led to the elevators, three of his jerseys came into view, neatly framed, followed by a pair of iconic boots encased in glass.

My room continued the theme. The television set presented a welcome message for me. The room is modern without being cold, plush without being showy.

The bed invited surrender, the lighting was mood-perfect, and the city hummed faintly beyond the window, an indication that Marrakech never truly sleeps.

This is not my first visit to the Red City. Yet each return reinforces the same feeling — an irresistible pull that grows stronger with familiarity. Marrakech does not merely welcome you; it persuades you to come back. And at Pestana CR7 Marrakech, arriving in daylight, with football history waiting to be written the next evening, that persuasion felt complete.

At the top floor of the Pestana CR7 Marrakech, the rooftop, one can get a panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains and the dynamic M Avenue.

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Iliman Ndiaye scored the only goal as Senegal beat 10-man Mali 1-0 on Friday to book a semi-final berth at the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time in the last four tournaments.

Ndiaye netted after 27 minutes, taking advantage of a goalkeeping howler to put Senegal ahead in a tense quarter-final against their west African neighbours.

Mali were reduced to 10 men for the second half after captain Yves Bissouma was sent off for a second caution on the stroke of halftime. He was booked first for a clumsy challenge in the 25th minute and was dismissed after a needless foul on Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Mali were down to 10 men from the 26th minute of their previous clash against Tunisia and still managed to squeeze through on penalties but there was no recovery this time around against a polished Senegalese outfit.

Ndiaye started the move that led to his goal with a run down the right wing, passing to wing back Krepin Diatta who then squared into the penalty area.

Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra looked to have cut off the effort but the ball slipped from his grasp and squeezed under his body.

Ndiaye was quickest to snap up the loose ball and finished from close-in.

Diarra more than made up for his horror error, however, with a series of fine second-half stops to deny Senegal a bigger advantage as a gallant Mali battled away to get back into the contest.

MALI GOALKEEPER MADE KEY STOPS

Diarra made excellent diving saves and palmed away stinging shots to deny Idrissa Gana Gueye, Sadio Mane and substitutes Pathe Ciss and Lamine Camara.

Mali had a handful of half-chances in the second half but were mainly on the back foot with hard-working striker Lassine Sinayoko an outlet for a rare counter-attack, which kept Edouard Mendy in Senegal’s goal on his toes.

“It was not an easy match because we played against a very talented Mali team but we achieved our objective,” said Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw.

“If we had been more clinical in front of goal we could have scored more goals but what is more important today is for us to have qualified for the semi-final.”

His Mali counterpart Tom Saintfiet paid tribute to his side. “It was a difficult match for us because we had to play large parts of the game with 10 men. But that doesn’t take away the fact that my players played gallantly and played very well,” he said.

Senegal will take on the winner of Saturday’s clash between Egypt and defending champions Cote d’Ivoire.

Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

Cameroon’s long-standing reputation as the nemesis of Africa Cup of Nations host nations came to an emphatic end on Friday night as Morocco’s national football team powered into the semi-finals with a commanding 2–0 victory over Cameroon’s national football team in Rabat.

Since 1984, Cameroon had beaten every AFCON host they encountered — with Egypt in 1986 the lone exception — earning a fearsome tag as the tournament’s ultimate party-poopers.

That aura dissolved inside a raucous, sold-out Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, where the Atlas Lions delivered a performance rich in authority, intensity and belief.

Goals in either half from Brahim Díaz and Ismail Saibari sealed a landmark triumph for the hosts, who had come into the quarter-final under scrutiny following an unconvincing Round of 16 win over Tanzania.

Driven on by a deafening home crowd, Morocco seized control from the opening whistle, pressing high and monopolising possession as Cameroon were pinned deep in their own half. The pressure told in the 26th minute when Díaz struck for the fifth time in the tournament, deftly guiding the ball into the net with his thigh after Ayoub El Kaabi flicked on a corner delivered by captain Achraf Hakimi.

It was Morocco’s sixth corner inside the opening 25 minutes and underlined their relentless start. The goal also carried historic significance, as Díaz became just the second player in AFCON history — after Osei Kofi — to score in five consecutive matches at the finals.

Buoyed by the breakthrough, the Atlas Lions continued to dictate the tempo and came close to doubling their advantage before the interval when Abde Ezzalzouli released El Kaabi on a swift counter-attack, only for the striker to find the side netting from close range.

Cameroon returned after the break with greater urgency, but their renewed attacking intent was blunted by a disciplined and well-organised Moroccan defence. Their best chance fell from a set-piece, when Georges-Kevin N’Koudou met a corner with a diving header that drifted wide.

With 15 minutes remaining, Morocco struck the decisive blow. From an Ezzalzouli free-kick, Nayef Aguerd’s clever touch found Saibari unmarked at the back post, and the midfielder calmly swept a low finish into the bottom corner to send the stadium into raptures.

At 2–0, and with belief coursing through the stands, Morocco were firmly in control. Cameroon could find no response as their hopes faded, while the hosts closed out a famous night in Rabat with composure — and a victory that not only propelled them into the semi-finals but finally ended a long-standing AFCON hoodoo against the Indomitable Lions.

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