Arab Cup: Walid Azaro breaks the Syrian lock and propels Morocco into the semi-finals

The local national team validated its ticket for the semi-finals on Thursday evening at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Tarik Sektioui’s men beat Syria 1-0, at the end of a quarter-final marked by the resistance of the opposing defense.

The Atlas Lions tried to impose their rhythm from the first half. Despite numerous incursions into the penalty area, the attack lacked precision in the final gesture. The match took an early turn with the injury-enforced substitution of Tarik Tissoudali in the 20th minute, replaced by Walid Azaro. The Syrian goalkeeper made multiple interventions to keep the score at 0-0 until the break.

Moroccan dominance continued after the break against a Syrian team proceeding by counterattacks. Mehdi Benabid’s teammates long struggled against the opposing goalkeeper, lacking concentration when it came to finishing. Syria failed to exploit its rare offensive transition opportunities to worry the national defense.

The decision was made in the 79th minute. Walid Azaro finally found the opening to score the only goal of the match and concretize the superiority of his team. This victory qualifies Morocco for the golden square. The team will face the winner of the match between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates, scheduled for Friday at the Al-Bayt stadium.

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