Morocco vs Tanzania: Can the Atlas Lions Break the RO16 Curse?

by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga

image Morocco vs Tanzania: Can the Atlas Lions Break the RO16 Curse?
Hosts Morocco take to the Complexe Sportif stadium on Sunday to face Tanzania for a quarterfinal place. While the 1976 AFCON winners are the heavy favorites, this stage was the end of their road in two of the last three editions of this tournament. The question now is, can the Taifa Stars upset the Atlas Lions at home? Let's see what it takes!

Morocco Eyes Quarter-Final With Routine Tanzania Win

Odds from the best online betting sites see Morocco going all the way in the 2025 AFCON at home. The Atlas Lions are the highest-ranking team on FIFA’s list, and deservedly so after the incredible run they've had leading to this tournament.

Morocco set a world record for the “most wins in a row” by a national team (18), overthrowing Brazil on that list. The run only just ended in Morocco’s second Group A game against Mali in the 1-1 draw. The Atlas Lions cruised past Comoros 2-0 on the opening day, and then bounced back from their draw with a 3-0 thrashing of Zambia.

Now, the next challenge for Morocco is Tanzania, and they should feel incredibly confident going into this game. Not just because Tanzania is still winless in this tournament, and only here thanks to two points from two draws. But also because of their H2H in the past year/s.

Morocco was paired with the Taifa Stars in the CAF WC qualification stages, and the Atlas Lions won both games 2-0. And in between, Morocco beat Tanzania 3-0 once more in Group F of the previous AFCON edition.

Another win for the Atlas Lions seems to be on the cards. But for sports bettors, finding value will be difficult with such low odds for Morocco to win. That's why our experts prepared a Morocco vs Tanzania prediction, containing the best value picks available.

Can Tanzania Shock Africa in RO16?

This will only be Tanzania’s fourth AFCON appearance and first back-to-back campaign after qualifying for the 1980, 2019, and 2023 editions. And what better way to make history than reaching the RO16 without a single win?

While the Taifa stars are the only team to reach the RO16 without a victory, their run has been impressive if you look closer. An opening day defeat to the star-studded Nigeria was only expected.

But drawing back-to-back games against Uganda and Tunisia as the underdogs in both shows just how resilient the newcomers are. Tanzania scored in all three games and only conceded one more (4) than they've netted (3). And that might just be the strategy for the Taifa Stars.

It's true that Morocco presents an entirely different level of challenge for Tanzania. Yet, if they can snatch another draw just as Mali did against Morocco in Round 2, maybe (just maybe) Tanzania can take the game to penalties, where only shooting efficiency and goalkeeper ability matter.

If there's one thing about the AFCON, it's how unpredictable it is, making this outcome for Tanzania entirely possible. The question now is not just whether they can score goals, but also whether they can keep the Atlas Lions from netting multiple.