Morocco Beats Syria by 1-0 and Advances to FIFA Arab Cup 2025 Semifinals

Morocco secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Syria in the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 quarter-finals on Thursday evening at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, booking their spot in the tournament’s semifinals. The tightly contested clash produced a single decisive moment that sent the Atlas Lions through to the final four. 

After a balanced first half that ended scoreless, Morocco turned the tide shortly after the break. In the 78th minute, striker Walid Azaro capitalised on a rebound to slot home the match’s only goal, breaking the deadlock and giving the North African side the advantage it needed to advance. Despite strong resistance from the Syrian defence and notable saves from Syrian goalkeeper Elias Hadaya, the goal proved to be the difference. 

The match saw its share of drama, including an injury to Morocco’s Tarik Tissoudali earlier in the contest and a late red card for Mohamed Moufid following a VAR decision. Nonetheless, Morocco maintained their composure to see out the result and secure progression in the regional tournament. 

Syria, who reached the quarter-finals after a resilient group stage campaign, were unable to find the breakthrough despite creating chances and battling throughout the 90 minutes. Their journey in the 2025 Arab Cup ends with pride after a spirited performance against a strong Moroccan side. 

With this victory, Morocco now looks ahead to their semifinal clash, where it will face the winner of the upcoming quarter-final match between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates. The showdown promises to be another compelling chapter in Morocco’s Arab Cup campaign.