Friday AFCON 2025 matches produced intensity, surprises, and controversy.

At the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, host nation Morocco were made to wait until the final match day of the group stage to secure a berth in the round of 16 after they were held to a draw 1-1 by a resilient Mali side.

The Atlas Lions opened the scoring from the penalty spot by Brahim Diaz 45+5 before halftime, taking the lead in front of their home crowd.

However, Mali refused to back down and were rewarded in the 64th minute and got a penalty which forward Lassine Sinayoko converted, silencing the stadium and underlining Mali’s growing confidence.

Elsewhere, Egypt secured qualification despite playing with 10 men, showing once again their experience and mental strength. Mohamed Salah was on target in a match full of twists and turns given the lead on penalty to his team.

The game was overshadowed by a major refereeing controversy, as South Africa were denied a penalty in stoppage time, despite the referee consulting VAR at the 90th minute.

The decision has once again raised serious concerns about refereeing standards at the tournament.