Morocco Defeats Powerful Syrian Eagles, Advances to Arab Cup Semi-Finals

Morocco secured their spot in the Arab Cup semifinals after beating Syria 1-0 in a match that saw them dominate for most of the 90 minutes. The victory came through a late goal from Walid Azaro, who capitalized on a rebound in the 79th minute to send the Atlas Lions through to the next round.

Both teams started aggressively, with Morocco trying to build attacks through the wings and Syria pressing high to disrupt their opponents' defensive structure. But Morocco's game plan took an early hit when Tarek Tisoudali got injured in the 24th minute, forcing coach to bring on Azaro as his replacement.

The substitution turned out to be crucial. Despite the early disruption, Morocco kept control of the game and created several clear chances. Amine Zahzouh came close with a header that the Syrian goalkeeper brilliantly saved. Karim Berkaoui wasted another dangerous opportunity in the 34th minute when his back-heel shot went wide of the goal.

Morocco's pressure intensified in the final minutes of the first half. Walid Karti nearly broke the deadlock with a header from a corner kick, but his effort hit the post in the 40th minute. The Syrian defense, led by goalkeeper Elias Hadaya, was holding firm but clearly under strain.

The second half saw Morocco ramp up their dominance. Hadaya made several impressive saves, including a point-blank shot from Osama Tanane inside the penalty box. But Syria's resistance finally broke when Azaro pounced on a rebound from Mounir Chouiar's shot to score the winner.

Syria's hopes of a late comeback were dashed when Morocco's Mohamed Mufid received a straight red card in the first minute of stoppage time. But with barely any time left, the Eagles of Qasioun couldn't find an equalizer.

This result puts Morocco one step closer to the Arab Cup final and maintains their strong form in the tournament. Syria, despite their defensive resilience for most of the match, will head home after a valiant effort against one of the tournament favorites.